Justin Shorter becomes the second Gators player selected by Bills in NFL Draft

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•04/29/23•

ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter was selected 150th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round Saturday. Shorter is the fifth UF player selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Shorter, a former five-star recruit, spent three seasons with the Gators after transferring from Penn State. He finished his UF career with 95 receptions for 1,375 yards and eight touchdowns, making 21 starts in 22 games played.

“My mindset, I just want to work even harder. Where the ceiling is, I don’t really think I have a ceiling,” Shorter said in 2022. “I just want to really work and that involves bringing up the people around me. I want to bring everyone in my room up and get everyone better and eventually the whole team.”

After catching 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns in 2020, Shorter had back-to-back 500-yard receiving seasons the past two years. As a senior last fall, he had 29 catches 577 yards with two touchdowns of 75 and 51 yards.

Shorter and fellow starting receiver Ricky Pearsall put their names in the school record books last year, finishing third (Pearsall, 20.0 YPC) and fourth (Shorter, 19.9 YPC) for the most average yards per catch in a single season in program history.

“Justin has developed nicely,” UF coach Billy Napier said. “He’s a really good practice player. He’s very consistent in terms of his effort and attitude and approach. He’s a competitor in a practice setting. The guy’s got tools, there’s no question he can be a matchup issue. I think his ball skills have developed and certainly his skill level has developed. Good to see Shorter and his hard work pay off. I thought he made some plays in some clutch moments. I think that’s really big for him and his development.”

Shorter made 41 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, including a 42-yard score on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half at LSU. That marked his first career 100-yard receiving game, hauling in six balls for 113 yards and two TDs.

Shorter is the fifth 2023 draftee for the Gators, joining quarterback Anthony Richardson (first round, 4th overall, Indianapolis Colts), defensive tackle Gervon Dexter (second round, 53rd overall, Chicago Bears), offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence (second round, 59th overall, Buffalo Bills) and linebacker Ventrell Miller (fourth round, 121st overall, Jacksonville Jaguars).

Other draft prospects for the Gators include EDGE Brenton Cox Jr., safeties Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II, offensive lineman Richard Gouraige and linebacker Amari Burney.

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