Florida Roster gets Makeover with Transfers, Dismissals, and Early NFL Draft Entries

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

College football rosters go through a dramatic shift every year when seniors have used up their eligibility and begin the next phase of their life be-it in the NFL or in the working world. Some programs go through more roster changes than others with underclassmen ready to test the NFL waters while some look for more playing time or a better overall environment by transferring to a different school.

Florida’s roster is starting to take a dramatically different look since they wrapped up a 10-3, 7-1 in SEC play, season with a SEC Championship Game finale against No. 2 Alabama on Dec. 5.

On Dec. 19, starting quarterback Will Grier was released from his scholarship seeking a transfer after a one-year ban for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. On Saturday, news broke that defensive end Alex McCalister was dismissed from the team for violation of team rules.

The next shoe to drop was the confirmation that two Florida Gators will forego their senior years for a chance to play in the NFL. The loss of running back Kelvin Taylor and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson looms large along with Grier and McCalister.

Florida fans knew it was coming, but the loss of All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III as an early NFL entry, as announced after the SEC Championship Game, was tough. In total the Gators have lost their top running back, top quarterback, top wide receiver, and top cornerback with the possibility of losing more as the deadline for underclassmen to declare is not until mid-January.

Taylor had a solid season under first year head coach Jim McElwain rushing for 985 yards on 248 carries with 13 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Treon Harris was second on the team with 382 yards with true freshman Jordan Scarlett coming in third with 204 yards. Departing quarterback Will Grier was fourth racking up 179 yards.

Harris led the team in passing yards with 1,530 playing in parts of 11 games, but Grier had the better overall stats passing for 1,204 yards 10 touchdowns to Harris’ nine, and completed 66 percent of his passes as compared to Harris’ 52 percent.

Antonio Callaway was the breakaway newcomer to the Gators pulling down 30 passes for a team-high 603 yards with another tied team-high four touchdowns. But Demarcus Robinson was the consistent chain mover getting a team-high 47 receptions with 505 yards and two touchdowns.

Some stats do not tell the entire story and such is the case for Hargreaves. Few teams attempted to test the three-time All-SEC performer but he did end up with 31 tackles, three tackles for a loss, four pass breakups, and four interceptions in 2015.

McCalister’s suspension from Florida may have prompted his decision to enter the NFL draft rather than sit out a year. The junior from Clemmons, North Carolina, was on pace to lead the Gators defensive front in sacks and tackles for a loss but an opening game suspension against New Mexico State and missing the final three games of the season limited him to nine games. In nine games, McCalister had 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, and a tying team-high 6.5 sacks.

Florida’s rooster could still lose a couple more players to early NFL entry in safeties Marcus Maye and Keanu Neal. Good news for Gator Nation, defensive tackle Caleb Brantley and linebacker Jarrad Davis have announced that they will return.

Photo credit: palmbeachpost.com; No. 14 Alex McCalister sacks Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles.