If Florida is going to take a real step forward this season, a receiver must step up and be a force for the Gators.

Everyone is looking at quarterback Jeff Driskel, who still has a lot to prove, but he's going to need some help in this new offense, and the Gators need a true playmaker at receiver in 2014.

WR Demarcus Robinson has made an impact this spring. Now Florida hopes he can carry it over into the fall and become a playmaker for the Gators. AP Photo/Phil Sandlin

Rising sophomore Demarcus Robinson could be that guy.

With all due respect to the rest of Florida's receiving corps, Robinson has all the athleticism and talent to be a real star in this league. He could be the kind of game-changer who could really give this offense a jolt.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound receiver didn't show much of his potential last season (five catches for 23 yards in seven games), but when you talk to people around the program you hear the same thing: A focused and determined Robinson could be a really special player for the Gators.

The key, of course, is that Robinson stays on the field. He didn't do a very good job of that last season, getting suspended twice, which hurt his development and hurt his team. From all accounts, Robinson kept his head in his playbook this spring and was able to make plenty of highlight-reel plays in practices. The former ESPN 300 prospect and U.S. Army All-American, who registered more than 1,000 receiving yard and had 15 touchdowns as a senior at Peach County High in Fort Valley, Ga., can stretch the field to be a deep threat and can make tough catches over the middle. He could also be a headache for defensive backs with his size and range.

“He has done some fantastic things in the passing game,” Florida coach Will Muschamp told reporters earlier this spring. “He’s an explosive receiver. He’s a tough matchup one-on-one because of his size, his athleticism. He’s got really good ball skills down the field."

Fans got a fun glimpse of Robinson during Florida's spring game this past Saturday with that nifty 31-yard touchdown catch when he sprinted across the field, made the catch underneath, headed upfield, made a move on a pursuing defender and then jogged into the end zone.

He's a speedster, and he's elusive. What he needs to do is continue to be consistent on and off the field because he could make Driskel's -- and Muschamp's -- life so much easier in 2014. He just has to stay on the field.

If he can do that, people might want to refrain from sleeping on Florida's new offense. Will he single-handedly make this a top-10 offense or take the Gators to Atlanta for the SEC championship game? No, but what he can do is be a major player in Florida's success. He can be that playmaker Driskel desperately needs, and a guy who can help open things up for other players in this offense.

Florida has a veteran in Quinton Dunbar and a group of other young receivers who appear to making strides, but Robinson has the potential to play on another level when he totally buys in. He'll make the tough catches and tough cuts.

Robinson isn't the overall solution to Florida's offensive troubles, but if he can play to his potential and stay focused, he could be a key cog in the Gators' attempt at a major 2014 rebound.