Nine Gators Receive Invitations To NFL Combine - ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF Graham Mertz (QB) – Team captain (2024). Started five games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury at No. 8 Tennessee. Montrell Johnson Jr. (RB) – Started at running back in eight of 10 games played in 2024 with 100 carries for 593 yards (5.9 yards per carry, 65.9 yards per game) and six touchdowns on top of 13 catches for 64 yards. Elijhah Bagder (WR) – Played in 12 games in 2024, led Florida with 806 receiving yards (13th in SEC) in addition to 39 receptions and four receiving touchdowns. Jason Marshall Jr. (CB) – Started the first seven games in the 2024 season, suffering a season-ending injury and tallied 20 tackles (13 solo). Shemar James (LB) – Team captain (2024), Started all 13 games at linebacker and totaled 64 tackles (34 solo), 2.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two QB hurries and three pass breakups. Cam Jackson (DL) – Recorded 37 total tackles (14 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass break ups through 12 games with a start in 11 of them. Chimere Dike (WR) – Team captain (2024), Reese’s Senior Bowl Participant (2025), Hula Bowl Participant (2025) Jeremy Crawshaw (P) – Team captain (2024), Handled all of Florida’s punting duties for the fourth consecutive season. Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (OL) – East-West Shrine Bowl participant (2025), Transferred and joined the Gators in the spring semester … Appeared in all 12 games this season and garnered 11 starts.
I wish and will pray that they do well in the combines. At the least, some of them will make the Taxi Squad. The pay for the Taxi Squad is not that bad according to a Google search. "How much money do NFL Practice Squad Players make annually? Per a Google Search, during the 2024 season, the minimum salary for NFL practice squad players is $12,500 per week. If a player has accrued at least two seasons, their minimum salary is $16,800 per week, while the maximum can reach $21,300 per week.Feb 10, 2025" Some of the lucky first year players will make some great money/ The weekly pay check cycle is for: 17 regular game schedule, the by week, and the 3 game preseason games. Thus, they can get 20 pay days. With that, they can make $352,800 in their first NFL season. Not bad for an entry level job. Note: Taxi Squad players are only eligible for the playoffs and the Super Bowl, if they get promoted to the team rooster.
I know it’s really early but looking at some of the mock drafts this could be the worst football draft in a long, long time for UF. You would think Dike or Badger or Shemar James would be the highest pick for the gators, but I saw one expert who had the OL lineman- Dickson as the first Gator drafted. Don’t know if I buy that my self. I have seen no gators picked in the first two rounds yet
Wow- you wonder what James will make next year vs what he could have made at UF with NIL. I have no idea- but I wonder how we stack up vs. a late round contract. Or a UDFA.
I might agree if we were just looking at day 1 or day 2 players, but I think we get 6 or 7 taken overall. Not a bad haul
