The wide receiver Chimere Dike, who is playing with his old quarterback, Graham Mertz, again at Florida after they both played together at Wisconsin, is next on the list.
Dike redshirted none of his four seasons with the Badgers. As a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic eligibility extension granted to collegiate athletes who were active at the time, Dike transferred to Florida as a graduate transfer with one season left to play.
Dike, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound recruit out of Waukesha (Wis.) North High School, was widely regarded as a three-star talent for the 2020 class.
Dike, however, made an instant impression for the Badgers in 2020, starting six of his seven games as a freshman and hauling in 12 receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown despite his mediocre potential ranking. That year, he added six rushes for 48 yards.
As a second-year freshman, Dike reverted to a depth role, but he still improved his stats in 2021, hauling up 19 passes for 272 yards and another touchdown in 13 games.
In 2022, his last season with Mertz in the Big 10, he emerged as a full-time starter and major contributor as a result of the production.
As a sophomore, Dike led the Badgers with 47 receptions for 689 yards and six touchdowns; in those categories, he contributed 28.6%, 32.3%, and 31.6% of Mertz’s total productivity.
Dike’s offensive production suffered greatly in 2023 without Mertz guiding the Wisconsin attack; he only managed 19 grabs for 328 yards and one touchdown. Mertz continued to post single-season career highs for the Gators in throwing yards (2,903), touchdowns (20), and completion percentage (72.9%).
Similar to Mertz’s development, Florida wants to use head coach Billy Napier’s offensive philosophy to bring Dike’s skills to a new level. The Gators are counting on Dike to at least replicate the kind of play he showed in 2022 when Mertz was his quarterback, as they look to improve on the signal-caller’s stellar 2023 campaign.
Dike will have lots of chances to work toward those objectives.
Ricky Pearsall, the Gators’ top wide receiver, finished his eligibility this offseason and is headed to the NFL Draft.Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman, a depth pass-catcher, and Caleb Douglas, who began the 2023 season alongside Pearsall before suffering a season-ending injury, also left UF via the transfer portal following the season.
Redshirt junior Kahleil Jackson, who filled in for Douglas at the end of 2023 and finished with 21 receptions for 251 yards and one touchdown, and Freshman All-American Eugene Wilson III, who recorded a team-leading six touchdowns over 61 receptions and 538 yards as a rookie, are back from the first-team receiver lineup.
Wilson will probably replace Pearsall by operating mostly out of the slot; thus, Dike will face competition for a starting position at outside receiver from Jackson, senior Ja’Quavion Fraziars, redshirt junior Marcus Burke, and sophomores Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell.
As a contributor to Wisconsin’s offense, Dike recorded 1,279 snaps outside compared to 769 snaps in the slot, so he could line up in both areas for Florida.
Wilson has already shown he is capable inside the line, but Dike’s career production—97 receptions for 1,478 yards and nine touchdowns—may give him an advantage against opponents outside. Together, Jackson, Fraziars, Burke, Jean, and Mizell have five touchdowns, 760 yards, and 58 receptions in their college careers.
“He can run 100 meters in 10.8 seconds. Two years ago, I produced a lot. He is flexible both on the inside and outside. On December 20, 2023, Napier characterized Dike as a “polished player.” “Very reliable, steady player who, in my opinion, adds some speed. But as a player, he’s exceedingly astute, wise, and conscious. He has a great deal of expertise. Undoubtedly, Graham’s relationship was helpful in that situation.
See below for All Gators’ prior transfer role forecasts for offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, defensive lineman Joey Slackman, and defensive back Trikweze Bridges.
