Gators have state-high seven players drafted
When it came to state colleges in the NFL Draft, the Florida Gators reigned supreme.
UF had a state-high seven players selected in the three-day draft, including four in the first three rounds. It marks the sixth consecutive year that the Gators have had at least five players drafted.
Cornerback CJ Henderson led the group as the ninth overall pick on Thursday by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The group that followed: wide receiver Van Jefferson (Los Angeles Rams, No. 57 overall, second round), defensive end Jabari Zuniga (New York Jets, No. 79, third round), edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (Houston Texans, No. 90, third round), running back Lamical Perine (Jets, No. 120, fourth round), and wide receivers Freddie Swain (Seattle Seahawks, No. 214, sixth round) and Tyrie Cleveland (Denver Broncos,
No. 252, seventh round).
Jefferson, the highest drafted UF wide receiver since Percy Harvin went 22nd overall in 2009, started all 26 games he played at UF over the past two seasons after transferring in from Ole Miss. The 6-1, 200-pound receiver and son of former Miami Dolphins receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, recorded a team-best 1,160 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns on 84 catches in that span. For his college career, Jefferson had 2,159 yards on 175 receptions (12.3 avg.) and 16 touchdowns in 48 career games.
Zuniga recorded 118 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks in 42 career games with the Gators. He played just six games as a redshirt senior due to injuries, but still had seven tackles for loss. Three of those came against the Miami Hurricanes in UF’s season opener.
Greenard, a graduate transfer from Louisville, was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference member in his lone season at Florida after leading the conference with 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 12 games. He also added 52 tackles, an interception, four pass breakups and three forced fumbles to help the Gators finish the season ranked ninth in the country in total defense (304.8 yards allowed per game) and seventh in scoring defense (15.5 points per game).
Perine finished his UF career ninth in school history with 3,159 yards from scrimmage (2,485 rushing, 674 receiving) and 30 total touchdowns.
He scored 11 touchdowns as a senior, his first year as a full-time starter. Perine was one of only two Football Bowl Subdivision running backs in 2019 to finish with at least 40 receptions, 125 carries, five rushing and receiving touchdowns, 675 rushing yards and 250 receiving yards. He ran for a careerhigh 138 rushing yards with three total touchdowns and earned MVP honors in Florida’s Orange Bowl win over Virginia at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium to close his college career.
Swain, who grew up less than an hour away from UF in Ocala, played in 47 games with 10 starts during his four-year UF career. He caught 68 passes for 996 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was also a steady punt returner, averaging 7.9 yards per return. His 85-yard punt returned for a touchdown is the second longest in Gators history.
Cleveland, a four-year contributor at UF, finished his Gators career with 1,271 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 79 catches in 46 games (26 starts).
The biggest of those catches very well might have been his last one against Tennessee as a sophomore in 2017 when he reeled in a 63-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks as time expired to lift UF to a 26-20 win.
Elsewhere around the state...
FLORIDA STATE
Running back Cam Akers was the lone Seminoles player selected, going 52nd overall to the Los Angeles Rams.
But what a career he had, given the situation.
Despite playing with a makeshift offensive line most of his career, Akers finished his college career with 2,874 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns and is one of three players in FSU history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Warrick Dunn and Dalvin Cook are the others). Akers also ranked among the top 10 in FSU history in rushing attempts (586, fifth), rushing yards (sixth), career 100-yard rushing games (11, sixth), total touchdowns (34, tied for sixth), rushing touchdowns (seventh).
UCF
Wide receiver Gabriel Davis was the lone Knights player taken, with the Buffalo Bills picking him at
No. 128 in the fourth round. The junior had
2,447 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns on 152 catches in his UCF career. He is the third UCF wide receiver to be drafted since 2015. The others: thirdround pick Tre’Quan Smith to the New Orleans Saints in 2018 and first-round pick Breshad Perriman to the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.
FAU
Tight end Harrison Bryant, a unanimous firstteam All-American as a senior, was the lone Owls player drafted. The Cleveland Browns took him with pick No. 115 in the fourth round. Bryant finished his FAU career with 2,137 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 148 catches. He broke out as a senior, catching 65 passes for 1,007 yards and seven touchdowns.