Florida football has many needs to fill this offseason following a third-straight losing season that saw a significant departure of talent after the conclusion of the schedule.
Currently, the best quick-fix for a depleted college football roster is the NCAA transfer portal, which Billy Napier and Co. will be searching through with a fine-toothed comb to restock the cupboard. The Gators hosted a quartet of de facto free agents in the Swamp this weekend, including one player who spent his recent years with a major Power Five team.
Safety Trikweze Bridges — a three-star prospect in the 2019 class who is also considered a three-star transfer portal prospect — spent five seasons and appeared in 48 games with double-digit starts for the Oregon Ducks before seeking greener pastures. With one year of eligibility left as a graduate student, he finally got a chance to get a full view of the University of Florida as a whole during his recent three-day official visit.
“This was actually my first time being able to tour the whole campus, like, academic-wise and sports-wise,” Bridges told a group of reporters on Sunday afternoon. “They have some new things around here, too.”
Since announcing his entrance into the portal on Dec. 5 the 6-foot-3-inch, 198-pound defensive back, who is capable of playing both safety and corner positions, the Kentucky Wildcats, Temple Owls, Houston Cougars, Washington Huskies, Pitt Panthers, Vanderbilt Commodores and Baylor Bears — among others — have extended offers.
That versatility could play very well in the Swamp.
“I liked talking to [Florida head coach Billy] Napier and coach Armstrong,” Bridges said. “I see what they are trying to do with this defense and how they are trying to change it around. They have some pieces here, but they are young.”
One of the other factors that play in the Gators’ favor is the defensive scheme, which should allow the graduate transfer to hit the ground running.
“They have the same…
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