From Gainesville to the Gridiron: Seven Gators Gear Up for NFL
With the National Football League preseason coming to a close, former Gators football standouts are on the rise. Teams are required to cut their respective rosters to 53 players by Tuesday, just over a week before the regular season.
Florida had seven players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. The impressive feat put them at 380 total players drafted all-time.
The first Gator off the board was wide receiver Chimere Dike. The 6-foot-1-inch route runner was selected in the fourth round by the Tennessee Titans. Dike transferred to Florida for his senior season and put up career-high numbers across the board. He finished the year with 783 yards and 18.6 yards per reception, both personal bests. The rookie will learn from veteran receivers Tyler Lockett and Calvin Ridley in his first season in the pros.
With the 150th pick in the fifth round, the Miami Dolphins selected four-year starter Jason Marshall Jr. The cornerback started his football career in the “Sunshine State” at Miami Palmetto Senior High School. Marshall Jr. made an undeniable impact on the Palmetto Panthers throughout his high school journey.
“Jason was a superior athlete. His field vision and understanding of the game was exceptional,” said Steven Batten, the Palmetto athletic director and a Florida alum. “We knew that he obviously had the ability to go to [Division 1] and excel. And, quite honestly, if it worked out well for him there, we saw him playing on Sundays.”
Marshall Jr. led Palmetto to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) State Semifinals during his senior campaign.
“Jason was the integral part of [the run to the State Semifinals]. He was a cornerstone on defense,” Batten said. “He was somebody that we could rely on, we knew was lock-down and he was going to help command what was going on on that side of the ball.”
Former Florida quarterback Graham Mertz heard his name called in the sixth round. The Houston Texans drafted the signal caller and had his 2024 season cut short due to an ACL injury coming off his best year. The Wisconsin transfer put up 2,903 passing yards and 24 total touchdowns in 2023 for the Gators. Now, Mertz looks to make the Texans’ active roster, but the quarterback competition is all but complete.
With C.J. Stroud at the helm, Houston has three other quarterbacks, including Mertz, to sift through. Texans contributor and sports media personality Stephanie Stradley said it may be an uphill climb, but his talent is clear.
“[The Texans] clearly saw something in him that made them decide that he needed to be on the team,” Stradley said. “You can look at his decision making in college and how he took care of the ball.”
Aside from Dike, Marshall Jr. and Mertz, the four other Gator draftees are poised to make a splash. Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Cam Jackson, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Shemar James, Denver Broncos punter Jeremy Crenshaw and Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Trikweze Bridges were all stars in the orange and blue.
Now, the seven Gator products are set to make their mark on the NFL stage.
Category: Former Gators, Gators Football, NFL
