Florida Gators Breakout Watch: WR Justin Shorter

The Florida Gators are making a quick, but full transition to a new-looking offense this season. The team lost plenty of its playmakers, including quarterback Kyle Trask, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes.

Recently, AllGators looked into receiver Jacob Copeland as a potential breakout candidate, but his running mate, Justin Shorter, looks to make a similar impact as a receiver with a lot of talent and a full season under his belt to learn the offense and adapt to the coaching principles within the Florida football program.

Shorter, 6-foot-5, 227 pounds has the size and athletic ability to create plays in the redzone for Florida this season. As a redshirt junior, he's had plenty of time to develop his physical traits as he continues to work on the mental aspect of college football.

Prior to transferring to Florida in 2020, Shorter spent time with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was rated as the No. 1 prospect in New Jersey, along with being the No. 1 receiver in the entire nation during the class of 2018, according to 247Sports Composite. He is ranked as the No. 154 player all-time.

During his time at Penn State, Shorter was only able to haul in 15 receptions for 157 yards. He played in 11 total games over the first two years of his collegiate career. Dealing with injuries and a simple lack of opportunity with Penn State, he opted to play for Florida, a program that takes pride in how it uses its wide receivers.

Playing for Florida in 2020, Shorter was able to maximize his opportunities to the best of his abilities, hauling in 25 receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He was one of several receivers that were heavily involved in Florida's pass-heavy offense last season.

While Pitts, Toney and Grimes dominated the share of the passes, Shorter was able to find his role in the short game and at times, in the red zone.

Moving ahead to this year, look for Shorter to make the most of his efforts again, this time as one of the team's starting receivers on the outside. While certainly Xzavier Henderson will battle for the role, Shorter's experience ought to set him apart.

With Copeland manning the other starting position and potentially Trent Whittemore in the slot, the Gators passing game should be able to fit nicely with dual-threat quarterback Emory Jones who will need all of the size, athleticism and experience he can get progressing forward as the team's starting quarterback.

Florida may have lost some key playmakers during this offseason, but it would be a shame to count them out with the players on hand ready to step up to the plate.

Florida has always utilized multiple receivers under head coach Dan Mullen, and even with a change in the style of play on offense, don't be surprised to see them continue the tradition. With Shorter ready to play his fourth season in college football, don't be surprised if he's one of the next Florida receivers to breakout.