With the Florida Gators set to add former Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger to the roster via the NCAA Transfer Portal, Gators Illustrated takes a look at what the former Sun Devil brings to the program. 

Putting it bluntly, Billy Napier and his staff get their guy as they close the book on its 2024 recruiting class.

With Ricky Pearsall off to the NFL, questions arose in spring camp about who would be the guy to replace his production at receiver. The obvious answer is rising sophomore Eugene Wilson III, who tremendously complemented Pearsall last season as an x-factor on offense. 

Then there’s Kahleil Jackson, the walk-on quarterback-turned scholarship wide receiver who showed tremendous potential as a deep threat and big-body receiver last season as a starter. 

Florida also has a pair of talented redshirt freshmen in Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell.

There’s also veteran backups Ja’Quavion Fraziars and Marcus Burke, who have yet to find a consistent role on the depth chart, but consistently earned the praises of their coaches and teammates in spring camp. 

Not to mention, Florida signed a speedy freshmen receiver duo in Jerrae “Tank” Hawkins and TJ Abrams.

That being said, the vast majority of Florida’s receiving room is either young, unproven or both, and after spring camp, it was evident the Gators could use a seasoned vet with consistent production in the room.

As a result, Florida dipped into the transfer portal prior to spring camp, and they landed on quarterback Graham Mertz’s former Wisconsin teammate Chimere Dike, who had his best success with Mertz as his passer. Still, though, the vast majority of the Gators’ receivers are either veterans who haven’t been able to crack the depth chart or youngsters who haven’t been on campus long enough to make an impact.

Specifically, outside of Dike and Wilson, Florida’s current receiving corps has combined for 60 catches, 777 yards and four touchdowns in their respective careers. 

Spoiler alert- Badger eclipsed all of those numbers on his own in 2022 and nearly did so again last season.

The Gators alleviate that inexperience and then some with Badger. His past two seasons with a struggling Arizona State program showed that.

In 2022, he recorded 70 catches for 866 yards and seven touchdowns. Although his numbers dipped in 2023, he still managed to catch 65 passes for 713 yards and three touchdowns. PFF graded Badger as the No. 78 receiver nationally last season (Pearsall was No. 74).

His catch total last season would’ve tied Pearsall for the team-high, and his yardage would’ve been second. Two years ago, he would’ve been the Gators’ top receiver in all three categories. 

An underrated aspect to Badger’s game is his potential as a kick returner. 

Lackluster special teams performances by the Gators over the last two seasons have been a major eyesore, and the lack of a consistent threat at kick returner hasn’t done them any favors. Not to mention, Florida’s two returners from last season (Pearsall and now-Georgia running back Trevor Etienne) are no longer part of the program. 

Florida did have options prior to Badger’s addition to the program. Wilson III’s agility makes him an automatic contender. There’s also Hawkins, who was once credited with a 4.25-second 40-yard dash. Additionally, running back Montrell Johnson even indicated in the spring that he was working out at punt returner. 

Again though, the one thing Badger has that that group doesn’t is successful experiences in that roles. 

Last season, he returned 20 kickoffs for 578 yards, which equates to a 28.9-yard return on average. He also had an 81-yard return in the Sun Devils’ season-opener. 

For comparison’s sake, the Gators averaged under 21 yards per kickoff return as a team last season. Florida hasn’t had a kick returner with over 500 yards in a season since Brandon Powell in 2015, and they haven’t had a player with a single kickoff return of over 80 yards since Solomon Patton in 2013. 

Patton’s 2013 campaign was also the last time Florida had a kickoff returner average at least 28 yards a return. 

Another point, Florida hasn’t had a kickoff returned for a touchdown since Antonio Callaway in 2016, which was a onside kick attempt against Missouri. 

Needless to say, it’s been a long near-10 years since Florida had a threatening return man on kickoffs. There’s potential all around this year’s Gator team to be that person, and Badger could be the best of them. At the very least, he will provide more competition for that role entering fall camp. 

Overall, Napier and Co. hit the transfer portal jackpot with Badger. He was the top-remaining receiver in the transfer portal and No. 79 overall transfer in the country, according to the On3 Industry Comparison at the time of his commitment.

As with any transfer, though, only time will tell just how beneficial the addition will be. For now, the potential to be an instant-impact player is there, and this is an offseason win Gator Nation should celebrate. 

Photos have captured Donald Trump and his wife Melania appearing together Friday at their son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida during a break in the former president’s New York criminal trial. 

Barron is one of 116 seniors at the Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach that received their diplomas Friday, according to The Palm Beach Post. 

Images show Trump and Melania in attendance to watch Barron walk across the stage. 

The 18-year-old has been attending Oxbridge Academy since Trump left the White House in 2021, The Palm Beach Post reports. 

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Trump had been pushing for weeks to attend his son’s high school graduation. The judge presiding over his criminal trial in Manhattan, Judge Juan Merchan, had left the decision on whether to allow Trump to attend in limbo. 

Merchan ultimately granted Trump’s request to attend Barron’s graduation, but he denied Trump’s request to attend arguments at the Supreme Court on April 25 regarding the matter of presidential immunity. 

“Barron’s a great student and he’s very proud of the fact he did so well and was looking forward for years to having his graduation with his mother and father there,” Trump said before Merchan granted his request to miss a day in court for the “scam trial.” 

Oxbridge Academy describes itself as a “premier, independent, co-educational college-preparatory school located on a beautiful 54-acre campus in West Palm Beach, Florida.” 

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Barron Trump graduates from Oxbridge Academy. His parents, former President Trump and wife Melania attended the ceremony on Friday in West Palm Beach. (Jim Rassol/The Palm Beach Post/Imagn)

“Founded in 2011 by philanthropist William I. Koch, Oxbridge Academy empowers students in grades 6-12 providing an outstanding education through a distinctive curriculum, an enriching environment, and an expert faculty helping them navigate their educational journeys with agility, confidence, and purpose,” it says on its website. 

“Annual graduating classes receive 100% acceptance to four-year colleges and universities, with 50% attending a top 100 U.S. university or a top 50 liberal arts college,” it adds. 

Former President Trump and Melania Trump attended the event during a break in Trump’s New York criminal trial. (Jim Rassol/The Palm Beach Post/Imagn)

During proceedings at the hush money trial in New York City on Thursday, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, answered numerous questions related to his time working for Trump, including whether he had hoped to secure a role at the White House in the Trump administration, how Trump reacted to the initial story of his and Stormy Daniels’ alleged sexual encounter, and whether he believed he played a role in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of Trump. 

Cohen said he “took some credit” for the 34-count indictment waged against Trump, who he once admitted to referring to as “dumb*ss Donald.” 

Trump had been planning to attend the graduation Friday and a judge granted his request to do so. (Jim Rassol/The Palm Beach Post/Imagn)

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Cohen’s testimony is expected to resume Monday when the court reconvenes at 9:30 a.m. ET. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Kyle Morris contributed to this report. 

ORLANDO, Fla. – A large cluster of storms continues to travel across the Florida Panhandle, sparking several severe thunderstorm warnings Friday morning.

Some of that energy could hold together through mid-morning and potentially clip northwestern counties of Central Florida, including Marion, Lake and Sumter. For this reason, rain chances remain slightly higher at 40-50% into the afternoon for those counties.

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Later in the day, added moisture and instability from this area will help fuel a few scattered showers along the sea breeze. Rain chances elsewhere in Central Florida remain low at 20-30%.

For those not seeing much rain, expect another very hot day, with highs returning to the mid-90s and feeling closer to 100 degrees.

Forecast models are in a bit of disagreement as we head into the weekend ahead of an approaching cold front. Some models show another ball of energy emerging from the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, increasing rain chances by late morning, while other models continue the typical sea breeze driven storms later in the day.

With this uncertainty, we will keep a 40-50% shot for rain and storms on Saturday. Along with more storms, highs will heat up even further — into the upper 90s, with heat indices at 100-105 degrees.

By Sunday, a surface cold front will approach the area and looks to bring our best opportunity at widespread rainfall, with coverage at 70-80%. Don’t be surprised to see a few storms becoming strong to marginally severe. With additional rain and clouds, temperatures should remain cooler in the upper 80s.