Gators TE Jordan Reed to enter 2013 NFL Draft

By Adam Silverstein
January 4, 2013

A third player has chosen to forgo his senior season of collegiate eligibility with the Florida Gators as redshirt junior tight end Jordan Reed announced Friday that he has decided to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.

“I’ve enjoyed four good years at Florida, but I feel that now is the right time to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL,” said Reed in a release from the school. “I appreciate the support from all the coaches and staff here, and I’ll always be a Gator.”

Reed, Florida’s leading receiver this past season with team-highs of 45 receptions and 559 yards, joins juniors safety Matt Elam and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd as players that have decided to leave early.

Formerly a quarterback, Reed has played tight end the last two years, showing promise as a redshirt junior when he caught three touchdowns and was the team’s leading receiver in most games. For his efforts, Reed was chosen as an All-SEC selection by the Associated Press (first team) and league coaches (second team).

“It’s been a dream for all three of these players to pursue a career in the NFL and now they are all getting a chance to realize that dream,” said head coach Will Muschamp. “We are very thankful for their contributions to the Florida football program over the years and we wish them the very best of luck in the pursuit of their dreams.

“We will support them 100 percent and I look forward to them continuing to be a part of our program. I have encouraged each of them to return to Gainesville to complete their degree – as I’ve told all of our players – there will be a day when their football careers are over. Matt, Sharrif and Jordan all received high marks in the draft evaluation process.”

Junior defensive end Dominique Easley and redshirt junior Will linebacker Jelani Jenkins have yet to announce their intentions though it is believed both will remain with the team for the 2013 campaign.

13 Comments

  1. Timmy T says:

    He would sure improve his draft stock if he were to stay, but he may have gotten good feedback from his people. Good luck Jordan.

  2. Nathaniel says:

    I get Floyd and Elam. I wish they’d stay, but I realize why they have to go. But, Adam, I have to disagree with Reed leaving. This doesn’t make sense to me. He’s good, but he’s not NFL-good. I mean, the guy jumps at every ball thrown no matter how high or low and this causes him to break stride. In addition, we’ve already seen that he doesn’t protect the ball enough.

    Is he delusional or am I missing something?

    • I completely agree that he’s not ready for the league. However, I’m not so sure that coming back for another year would help him that much draft stock-wise. I mean, Michael Egnew out of Missouri got drafted in the third round and he can’t even get on the field after a very productive college career. Reed has the physical attributes but needs coaching. If a team sees his potential, he could go in the fourth.

    • calgator says:

      In his case it has nothing to do with draft position, improving his game etc. The bottom line with Reed is that he’s tired of going to school. He doesn’t want to go to class anymore.

  3. Alex says:

    NFL teams see him as an Aaron Hernandez type player – a guy who they can flex all over the field. He will get taken in the third round on that potential alone. Makes sense based on what Hernandez has done – some team without deep needs will get him and try to develop him.

  4. gatorboi352 says:

    Man…. and you thought Driskel had troubles in the passing game this past year! Clay Burton better get good real quick!

  5. Erica says:

    Jordan Reed’s problem of jumping to catch every ball no matter how high or low thrown is more commonly known as “Carl Moore disease.” It’s a very real disease. However, I wish him the best of luck but I hope he isn’t going pro just because he doesn’t want to go to class. I would give my right arm to be back at UF even if that meant going to class.

  6. Fernzpat says:

    LOL Erica.

  7. Alex says:

    Good chance he goes undrafted

  8. Walt P says:

    Hope he does well, the kid got moved from QB to TE and played ball. Didn’t transfer no threats to transfer just played ball. Wish him well. NEXT. Go Gators

  9. aziatic41 says:

    I think Reed could benefit from another year at UF to polish his skills a little more. But anyone that knows anything about football will tell you that this kid is a beast. He put up solid numbers in an offense that hardly ever passed the ball, and also being double-covered most games, and in the difficult SEC! Despite his rawness, he has 1st round ability. When I see Reed I can’t help but think about Aaron Hernandez. The two are very similar. This years draft doesn’t have a lot of great tight ends. If Reed can do good at his pro day workouts and combine, his potential to get drafted high is very strong.

Leave a Reply to gatorboi352 Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux