GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida head coach Jim McElwain isn't one to single out players for strong performances, usually pretty reserved in his praise.

To him, players making plays is simply them doing their jobs. There's a standard to uphold at each position and so he typically steers clear of offering too much praise for players getting the job done.

But a few have caught his eye this spring. Like junior college wideout Dre Massey.

"I think Dre Massey has really done a great job," McElwain said. "He probably benefited from (Alvin) Bailey not being here as far as getting a lot more reps at a couple different positions, and we feel that he's really taken some steps forward at that receiver group. That's really good to see."

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Massey hasn't been the only standout receiver, either. McElwain mentioned before the spring that he was hoping to get more out of Ahmad Fulwood, a 6-foot-4 senior.

That appears to be happening. Fulwood had struggled with drops and poor route-running in his first few years on campus, but he's been much more effective in both areas in portions of practice open to the media.

He's carrying that over to the more team-oriented periods of practice too.

"That's been good to see, just to see the competitive nature that Ahmad has been practicing with," McElwain said. "That'd probably be the guy that I would certainly say is standing out a little bit."

Defensively, McElwain has seen a handful of younger players emerge.

Sophomore defensive end Keivonnis Davis is one. Davis burned his redshirt late in the 2015 season when injuries struck on the defensive line. His upside is clear as a strong pass-rusher off the edge. Along with Davis, a couple players in the secondary and on the defensive line have stood out.

"I think Duke (Dawson) and Marcell (Harris) are guys that played last year obviously but have played significant amounts," McElwain said. "I like to see the way those guys are competing and communicating more than anything.

"I think (Jabari) Zuniga’s a guy who’s really had a good spring, Taven Bryan’s had a good spring up to now. Understands the gap responsibility and stuff like that."

With other key contributors returning on defense, the Gators appear to be in good shape moving forward. McElwain is pleased with the progress so far, and he hopes to see it continue over the second half of the spring.

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