Florida Football Captains Stir Controversy
Dorsey, Waters Among Surprises Named
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Billy Napier announced seven football captains for the 2023 season Tuesday, and some were surprising choices.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson, the first overall player in the recruiting class of 2022, was not among the captains.
Neither were Shemar Stewart, Tre’Vez Johnson, Gervon Dexter and Jalen Kimber, five players who started at least 12 games last season for the Gators (6-7) in 2022.
The captains named by Napier were:
- WR Xzavier Henderson
- DB Devin Moore
- DL Princely Umanmielen
- DB Donovan McMillon
- LB Scooby Williams
- DL David Hepburn
- WR Adam Randall
The selection of Umanmielen, a redshirt senior from Lakeland, came as a big surprise.
Umanmielen, who played in two games last season, has not started a game in his career with the Gators.
Hepburn, a senior from Tampa, also has not started a game in his career.
Moore, a senior from Vero Beach, started seven games last season but missed the final five games due to injury.
Williams, a redshirt junior from Columbia, South Carolina, played in all 13 games last season and started the final three games.
McMillon, a junior from Lakeland, played in 10 games last season and started three.
Henderson, a fifth-year senior from Sarasota, started 10 games last season.
Randall, a senior from Hollywood, started 12 games last season.
The announcement of the captains came on the same day that Napier announced the hiring of former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as the Gators’ Director of Player Personnel.
Tebow, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2007, will be responsible for evaluating talent, recruiting and player development.
Tebow’s hiring is the latest in a series of moves by Napier to revamp the Florida football program.
Since being hired in December 2021, Napier has fired the entire coaching staff, hired a new strength and conditioning coach and made several changes to the way the program is run.
The Gators will open the 2023 season on Sept. 2 at home against the Utah Utes.
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