Florida Gators: A Look at the Receivers.

With the departures of Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer is in need of a stud to step up and impact the offense in a big way. Florida is not lacking receivers, they simply need some guys QB Tim Tebow can go to in the clutch. 

Senior Riley Cooper will return to his consistent productivity. Tebow trusts him, and I expect to see his name being called quite often in the upcoming season. Cooper will share a leadership roll with David Nelson. Expect a type of breakout from Cooper at some point this season.

Senior David Nelson returns as a hero type receiver, as he's proven he can be the go-to guy in various situations. Nelson caught five touchdowns last season, including the game sealing touchdown from Tebow's jump pass against the Sooners in the BCS Championship game, sealing his fate as a playmaker. If the end of last season is any indicator of how good Nelson is, he should be a great asset to the team.

Senior Carl Moore was relatively silent in the '08 season, but looks to break out in '09. With receiving core being a bit more open, he should get his fair share of passes thrown his way. Hopefully, he will be a leader type alongside the other seniors. Reports out of Friday's spring practice say he was the quarterbacks main target. Catching passes left and right. Let's hope he continues this progress throughout the spring.

The man I'm expecting big things from this season is none other than Deonte Thompson. He accounted for three touchdowns last season. Not too bad. He'll be a sophomore with a year of experience under his belt. All the things I'm reading from spring practice says he's catching everything thrown his way. A very positive sign. Keep your eyes peeled for this kid.

There is no way I could forget Andre Debose. He hasn't even put on pads for Florida, yet he's already being called, "The next Percy Harvin." Big shoes to fill if you ask me, but by looking at film, I'm sold on Debose. The guy can run and catch with the ball. That is something Meyer see's as very valuable in his offense.

Overall, the receivers should be plenty productive. We'll see early in the season who will fill the shoes of Harvin, whether it will be a standout player, or in a committee. I'm positive Meyer is working with these guys to avoid any kind of slump we may have seen in the beginning of last season. Expect big things from these guys.  I'll keep my eyes on who exceeds, and who underachieves.


Non-mentioned guys to watch: Paul Wilson, T.J. Lawrence, Frankie Hammond Jr.