Caleb Douglas jumping onto the scene in fall camp
For the Florida Gators football team, there have been plenty of opportunities for the underclassmen to see the field during fall training camp.
One offensive player who has taken advantage of his reps is true freshman wide receiver Caleb Douglas.
Douglas, one of the final additions to Billy Napier’s first recruiting class, enrolled at the school in May before summer workouts. On3 ranked him as the No. 24 wide receiver in the country and the No. 167 overall recruit.
The Lonestar State native was the only signee for wide receivers coach Keary Colbert in the 2022 class, and he’s already turning heads in Gainesville.
“I think Caleb, in particular, showed he flashed in the scrimmage the other day, made some plays,” Florida coach Billy Napier said of Douglas. “Caleb is a former quarterback. This is a guy who kind of early in his junior year started playing that receiver position.
“I think we’re excited about his upside. This guy is 6-3, maybe some change, and weighs close to 200 pounds. He’s got some unique traits I think, the things that are required to play receiver. He’s a developmental player that are think is making progress.”
After being hired at UF, the first recruit Napier offered in the 2022 recruiting cycle was Douglas. He took official visits to Florida and LSU in January before committing to the Gators, which Napier called a “big win” on signing day.
Douglas scored a touchdown in the scrimmage Saturday and appears to have worked his way into the receiver rotation.
“Caleb is a unique athlete,” Napier said of Douglas after landing him. “He was in our recruiting footprint at Louisiana. We had evaluated him. Had a previous relationship with him. And really felt great about the upside. You turn the senior tape as you expected a guy who took off and had a great year. I think his best football is ahead of him.
“He’s really got another gear. Fantastic ball skills and more importantly the guy’s really got his act together. Great kid, great student, incredible family. I think that he’s the type of person, the type of athlete that we want at the University of Florida. Keary Colbert was outstanding in that situation. Had a previous relationship. He was committed to Southern Cal at one point. Keary was there. Very fortunate to get Caleb.”
