Redshirt junior receiver Kahleil Jackson is expected to become a position leader at the University of Florida as he enters his second season as a scholarship player.
Jackson turned down an offer from Jackson State to continue at UF in 2020. The third-generation player paid his dues, endured a coaching change and finally received a scholarship from Billy Napier in the spring of 2023.
“Kahleil Jackson doesn’t need motivation,” Napier said Wednesday. “He’s self-motivated, he’s a fighter. He always wanted to prove himself and he did. He has the respect of me, our staff and his teammates.”
Jackson started nine times last season and should be a consistent performer in Gainesville again this year. He is one of three receivers on the roster who is 6’3″ or taller, but two transfers could keep him out of the official starting lineup. He will look to improve on his career-high 251 yards and a touchdown from last season.
While Jackson has improved on the field over the years, Napier believes his development off the field has benefited him the most.
“I’m most proud of Khaleil Jackson’s development as a person. His ability to connect with his teammates… There’s three or four guys at the table, and this guy is smiling. He’s having a conversation. He’s more talkative on the field. Just a different guy, you know?
“When we got here, that was an area where he specifically talked to me about what he wanted to improve. So Khaleil is in a prime position to have a good year here for the Gators.”
Tradition makes the difference
Sometimes older signings shy away from family history, but Florida’s staff seems to be able to address that with its players.
Napier took over the program at a low point and immediately took steps to restore the Florida Gators’ reputation. Dropping players who understand the big picture was not part of that plan.
“The more kids we have on our team that have a real sense of the history and tradition of this place, that really understand that we’re part of a family that – I mean, Khaleil Jackson, think about how he grew up and what he’s experienced and the stories he’s been told – and that he wears number 22 and has Jackson on his back, I mean, we need more of that, right?”
“Maybe we’re right. We have a lot of legacies ahead of us here.”
Florida also has Myles Graham, the son of Earnest Graham, on the roster and Vernell Brown III recently joined the program.
“In general, a player who has knowledge and passion for the place, who has a real understanding, is always valuable. Because some of that generation, they don’t remember it, you know, they don’t have a connection to it. So I think guys like Kahleil mean a little more to a guy like that.”
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