The Florida Gators football program had plenty of talent in the early 2000s, but one more potential NFL player nearly wore the orange and blue before a persistent recruiting strategy sent him elsewhere.
In an episode of Dan Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions, former NFL All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall stated that he got a scholarship offer from Florida as a senior in high school in 2002 but eventually chose to commit to the University of Central Florida.
According to Marshall, a self-described lifetime Gator fan and Orlando native, during an official visit to Florida, first-year Gators head coach Ron Zook presented him with an ultimatum that drove him in the opposite direction.
“He offered me a safety. I approached him in his office and told him, “Give me until the end of camp to show that I can play wide receiver. ” If I don’t, you may place me anyplace on the field,’ Marshall said. “Do you want to be a Gator or not? ” he asked, as my father sat next to me.
While he had wanted to become a Gator since the fourth grade, the future UCF Hall of Famer said that Zook’s refusal to offer him a chance at wide receiver prompted him to stay in Orlando and become a Knight.
Marshall had a successful career at UCF, recording 112 receptions for 1,674 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also started seven games at safety, leading the Knights with 51 tackles in 2004 and recording an interception.
He brought that dominance to the pros, breaking NFL records for the most receptions (21) in a game and the most seasons with over 100 receptions (six), while earning six Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections. He caught 970 receptions for 12,351 yards and 83 touchdowns throughout his 13 NFL seasons.
Florida’s receiving corps was nothing to scoff at throughout Marshall’s collegiate career (2002-2005), which included All-SEC pass-catchers such as Dallas Baker, Chad Jackson, O. J. Small, and future NFL veteran Andre Caldwell. With that stated, bringing in a future NFL superstar of Marshall’s caliber would have boosted Florida’s receiver group to new heights.
Zook did not stay long at Florida, with his three-year tenure being the second-shortest among Gators coaches in the current era. Florida won the 2007 BCS National Championship two years after his resignation, under new head coach Urban Meyer.
