Florida Gators sophomore tight end Arlis Boardingham was one of 48 players named to the John Mackey Award Preseason Watchlist. The award honors the top collegiate tight end in the country annually.
The award is named after John Mackey, who revolutionized the tight-end position upon entering the NFL in 1963 with the Baltimore Colts. Mackey is regarded as one of the all-time greats at the position. He played in the NFL for ten years and went to five Pro Bowls before earning a Pro Football Hall of Fame nod in 1992, making him the second tight end to join the reigns of Canton.
Two Gator tight ends have won the Mackey Award, the most recent being Kyle Pitts, after a sensational 2020 campaign before becoming the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history with the Atlanta Falcons.
Boardingham is entering his third season in Gainesville. He was a former three-star prospect in the 2022 class out of Van Nuys (Ca.). 2023 he had a breakout season, recording 26 receptions for 289 yards and four touchdowns. This marked the program's most productive season from a tight end since Kemore Gamble in 2021.
"He's a really good route runner," Florida tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway said. "He has really good hands. He has improved, like I said, in the run game dramatically. Not that he was bad, but he's made it a point to get better, and he has.
"It's the ability with him to, okay, when he's in the game, if you're 11 or 12, what personnel grouping are they in? Are they in base? Are they in nickel? Whatever it may be. Again, that's a week to week game plan thing. Okay, who's their nickel?"
"How does Arlis look, match up against them? Who's the base guy? However it may be. He gives you different things in the intermediate passing game and in the vertical passing game that I think we can utilize week in and week out."
The Gators staff stressed evolving Boardingham's ability as a blocker entering 2023, a trait the team believes will boost his performance in all facets of the offense.
"I feel like I've improved a lot, I definitely think that's due to coaching as well; tight ends in the room, all of them have helped me, helped me out of the little things on blocking that I may not have known, seeing how I didn't play in my first year, since I was out, just letting know the little things, small details," Boardingham said in late September.
The Mackey Award selection committee will announce the eight semifinalists on Oct. 29 and the three finalists on Nov. 26. The committee will announce the winner on ESPN's live presentation of The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12.