Florida football redshirt sophomore receiver TJ Abrams could have entered the transfer portal after the coaching transition from Billy Napier to Jon Sumrall.
The 5-foot-10, 198-pound Abrams, a former Dunbar High standout from Fort Myers, decided he wanted to continue his college career in his home state and play for the Florida Gators.
“I just wanted to stay in Florida,” Abrams said. “I’m from Florida. I’m from here. Four hours away. Just the Gator name brings more than NIL can bring at the end of the day. A degree from Florida goes a long way to my family, so it kind of helped the decision.”
Abrams rose to the occasion when both Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III were sidelined with injuries last November. He finished his redshirt freshman season with 14 catches for 202 yards, which included a 47-yard catch at Ole Miss.
“It’s a game I’ve been playing since I was five, so every time I step onto the field it’s just a blessing,” Abrams said. “I don’t really too much … I just go out there and ball. That’s just how I’m raised, how I go out there and do it.
“I definitely like the way I finished the season, but there’s always more to improve on.”
In fall camp, Abrams faces plenty of competition. Wilson and Brown are back, and Florida added transfer receivers Eric Singelton (Auburn), Micah Mays (Wake Forest) and Bailey Stockton (Georgia Tech). Mays and Singleton both stood out in UF’s spring game, with Mays making four catches for 122 yards and 2 TDs and Singleton making five catches for 83 yards and 2 TDs.
“We’ve got a lot of people,” Abrams said. “(Offensive coordinator) Coach Buster (Faulkner) is very good at putting people in different positions. We’ve got a lot of playmakers that can come in and do different stuff.”
To prepare for the competition in fall camp, Abrams improved his top end speed on the treadmill from 20.72 mph to 22.02 mph this offseason. Florida wide receivers coach Marcus Davis also is working with Abrams to become a more precise route runner after his fourth-quarter gaffe last season against Miami, in which he ran two yards on a route instead of three on fourth down. It resulted in Florida turning the ball over on downs against the Hurricanes.
“What I like about him, he takes the coaching, and that’s what you’ve always got to be thankful about, guys that want to get better, guys that want to take the coaching,” Davis said. “But we’re going to continue to push him in the right direction.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Can Florida football WR TJ Abrams catch on in crowded position room?
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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By Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
