GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They are newcomers to the Gators, but they have caught on quickly.
Florida's transfer receivers proved it during Saturday's Orange & Blue Game.
Micah Mays Jr. from Wake Forest and Eric Singleton Jr. from Auburn combined for 10 catches, 214 yards and three touchdowns in the high-scoring stalemate, which the Blue Team (offense) squeaked by the Orange (defense) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Mays exploded in the waning minute of the second quarter, hauling in a 75-yard touchdown from Tramell Jones Jr. on an ankle-breaking slant-and-go route. Not even 40 seconds later, Mays found the end zone again on a 23-yard strike from Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo.
"It was a great feeling," Mays said. "I just want to be really explosive, really electric out there. Great ball by Tramell, great ball by Aaron, and I just want to keep this going into the fall."
Gators head coach Jon Sumrall, also making his Gators debut, said he was impressed with how much Mays had improved this spring.
"He's flashed, in particular, making plays down the field or getting the ball when he's on the move," Sumrall said. "As a route runner, he's been explosive. He tracks it (the ball) well. He catches it clean."
Sumrall said Mays' main improvement has been in his physicality.
"I've challenged him to play with a little bit more edge. That's the biggest challenge I've put on him, like, 'Hey, it's not okay to be a guy that just catches the football. You gotta do the dirty work, too.' He's grown in that area. I expect him to continue to grow, but am really excited about having him on this roster."
Singleton's 38-yard touchdown catch from Jones in the mid-second quarter was what finally took the lid off the defense. Singleton spent a season at Auburn after two at Georgia Tech and arrived at UF with much fanfare in the offseason.
Eric Singleton Jr., a transfer from Auburn, caught six passes for 92 yards and a score on Saturday. (Photo: Anthony Garro/UAA Communications)
"It was great to see him out there in the Swamp doing it," Mays said. "He does it all the time in practice, so it was no shocker, but it was great to see him make a routine play like that."
Jones, who finished 13 of 17 for 210 yards and two touchdowns, credited his rebuilt receiving corps for his performance.
"You can just throw the ball up, and our guys will run right under it," Jones said.
Philo, who started the game poorly with two interceptions, rallied at the end of the first half when he connected with Mays. Philo said his wideouts helped him get back in a groove. However, it was not just the group's raw talent that he lauded, but their football IQ.
"They're all tremendously fast, but the thing that I think separates them is they all really understand the game," he said. "They understand what we're trying to accomplish each and every play. They understand space, they understand scheme, and I think that's what really separates them."
Bailey Stockton, another Georgia Tech player who followed offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville, showed off his speed on a handful of underneath crossing routes throughout the game. Stockton tallied four receptions, with 23 of his 24 yards coming after the catch. Micah Mays Jr. hauls in one of his four receptions on Saturday. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Faulkner praised both his transfers and the depth of his receiving room.
"There's like six, seven guys in that room that are playing really good football," he said. "For us to get out there today with people in the crowd, a little bit of noise, and for them to be able to execute the way they did, I was impressed with that."
With Dallas Wilson resting as he continues his return from foot surgery, sophomore Vernell Brown III was the lone receiver on the field who saw significant time during Florida's tumultuous 2025 campaign. With four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, Brown showcased the explosiveness that made him a rare bright spot on a shaky Gators offense last season.
Redshirt sophomore TJ Abrams also had a solid performance, as he was one of five players with a 30-plus-yard reception during the game. Abrams led the scrimmage with 10 targets – five from Jones, four from Philo and one from true freshman Will Griffin.
With so many new faces in the building, Sumrall told reporters how important the spring phase of the offseason is to his coaching staff.
"When you have 50 new players – 30 transfers, I believe, 20 high school – you're not gonna go sign 30 starters. I'd love to, but that's just not even realistic," he said. "So certain guys have certain roles, and what you want to see is as we shift to the season, summer, end of the season, everybody has to know their role, embrace their role and be a star in their role.
"And if you do that, your role grows. And so, it is nice to see certain transfer guys make plays and elevate, and validate what we thought."
