GAINESVILLE — Former Gator Shane Matthews, the first star quarterback under Steve Spurrier, knows a good receiver when he sees one.
As a two-time SEC Player of the Year, Matthews threw to a talented cast of pass catchers during the early ’90s, led by Willie Jackson Jr., Ernie Mills and Jack Jackson, and headed to the NFL just before Chris Doering, Reidel Anthony, Jacquez Green and Ike Hilliard set a record-setting standard in the Gators’ passing game.
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These days, Matthews is more excited about Florida’s receiver room than he’s been in decades.
“I love it,” Matthews said. “I love everything they’ve done in the portal.”
Incoming coach Jon Sumrall, new general manager Dave Caldwell and their staffs have signed 21 scholarship transfers to improve the Gators in every area after a disappointing 4-8 season.
Auburn transfer Eric Singleton Jr.’s addition this past weekend elevated a position already shaping up to be a strength in 2026.
Singleton joined Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson, who each had big moments as true freshmen, Georgia Tech transfer and former Singleton teammate Bailey Stockton, Wake Forest transfer Micah Mays Jr. and returning redshirt sophomore TJ Abrams.
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The group has plenty pedigree. In 2026, Matthews expects the best production on the perimeter at Florida since Urban Meyer’s teams featured Percy Harvin, Dallas Baker, Louis Murphy and Andre Caldwell 20 years ago.
“They have potential to have a hell of a year,” Matthews said.
Doering is especially keen on Singleton, who spent 2025 with Auburn after two seasons at Georgia Tech playing for Gators’ new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.
“I feel like Auburn underutilized him,” Doering told the Orlando Sentinel. “He’s a special player that has a ton of speed. He’s a get-it-to guy. He certainly commands attention down the field because he can take the top off (a defense). But he’s the guy that you get the ball at or near the line of scrimmage, and can take short catches and turn them into long gains.
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“I love that addition.”
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Singleton, averaged just 9.2 yards on 58 catches in a passing offense ranked 15th of 16 SEC teams. But the 20-year-old has produced during each of his three college seasons. He recorded 162 catches for 2,002 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2023-24, leading him to consider leaving for the NFL before entering the transfer portal last Friday.
Sumrall and Faulkner immediately seized the chance to add a productive, experienced receiver to a collection led by two of the nation’s more promising young receivers, Brown and Wilson.
The 5-foot-11 ¼, 178-pound Brown, a former Orlando Jones standout, led Florida with 40 catches, including several highlight-reel plays, and 512 receiving yards, but did not score.
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“Vernell was the highlight of the receiver room last year,” Doering said.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound Wilson wasted no time finding the end zone twice during his long-awaited, record-setting debut Oct. 4 against Texas — six months after he had 10 catches for 195 and two scores in the spring game.
During the Gators’ 29-21 upset of the Longhorns in the Swamp, Wilson returned from a foot injury to record six catches for 111 yards and two scores — all UF records for a true freshman receiver in his first start. But he re-aggravated the injury Nov. 1 against Georgia, ending his season after just four games.
Brown, who battled a shoulder injury in November, and Wilson were among five 2025 Gators Sumrall targeted to re-sign, along with linebacker Myles Graham, edge rusher Jayden Woods and tailback Jadan Baugh.
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Singleton, Brown and Wilson, the presumed ’26 starters, will draw the attention of defenses, open up opportunities for the rest of the receiving corps and lead coaches to spread the field.
Under former coach Billy Napier, the Gators relied heavily on two-tight end sets and rarely fielded more than three wideouts.
“I hated the fact that we didn’t see more four- and five-wide sets,” Doering said. “I’m anxious to see if that’s something that this year’s Florida offense is going to implement. There’s a time for having multiple tight ends, but I also know the benefit of being able to spread the field with a lot of dynamic receivers and the pressure that’s putting on the third-, fourth-, fifth-best corners that you match up with.”
Doering, now an analyst at SEC Network, attended Miami’s 34-27 win against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, where the Rebels’ array of receivers attacked the Hurricanes’ defense from all angles.
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“When you can have that diversity and number of players for the quarterback to distribute the ball to, it’s really difficult to defend,” Doering said.
Doering, 52, had witnessed firsthand a similar game plan 30 years ago, when he caught a UF record 17 touchdowns for Spurrier’s 1995 Gators.
“This receiver room has a chance to be a similar kind of deep and dynamic group,” Doering said.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
