Dynamic Gators’ playmaker Kadarius Toney aims to slip into first round of NFL Draft

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney claims he can throw a football 80, 90 yards, “no problem” — a Bunyanesque boast even his record-setting quarterback at Florida would not dare question.

“I’m not sure the exact yardage,” Kyle Trask said, “but I know he can throw it pretty dang far.”

Toney, a former high school quarterback, always has been able to perform magic with a football in his hands. Even so, his final act as a Gator caught everyone by surprise.

Toney combined the ankle-breaking wiggle, open-field instincts and Lamborghini-like acceleration he displayed from Day 1 at UF with the disciplined route-running and reliable pass-catching skills he developed prior to his final season in Gainesville.

For the encore, Toney could end up selected during Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft, perhaps the biggest rise of any player in the 2021 class.

“Incredible development,” said longtime draft analyst Tony Pauline of profootballnetwork.com. “He came into the season graded as a seventh-round prospect by scouts.”

Toney’s transformation seemingly came against all odds due to the coronavirus pandemic and months-long shutdown due to the spread of COVID-19. The 22-year-old Alabamian said an attitude adjustment inspired his offseason evolution.

“It was more I know exactly what I’ve got to do as far as putting in work on the field, watching film, locking in with Kyle Trask, like different workouts and stuff,” Toney said. “It took a lot to really transition to where I am, but I ain’t look back ever since.”

Lev Holly, Toney’s high school coach for two seasons, said it was only a matter of time before his former quarterback’s talent elevated him to the top of his sport.

“When you got it, you got it,” Holly said. “I tell people this: him with a football in his hands, I am not surprised of what he can do with it. He can do the most craziest things.”

Playing his final two seasons for Holly, Toney accounted for 100 touchdowns (69 passing, 31 rushing) during 2015 and 2016 at Blount High School in Mobile.

Beyond the eye-popping production, Holly was struck by Toney’s commitment to his craft and love of the game, a fact that has been questioned due to his off-the-field interests as rapper Yung Joka.

Toney spoke to reporters just once during the 2020 season, following his scintillating eight-catch, 151-yard performance during the SEC title-game loss to Alabama.

After Toney showcased his athletic gifts one last time as a Gator, on March 31 during the school’s Pro Day, he set the record straight on juggling football and his musical interests.

“That’s not my first priority,” Toney said of his music gig. “Like you see this right here, see this behind me, this is what I do 24-7. This is what I was born to do. So that’s kind of disrespectful when you try to tell me exactly what I do, how I do it and why.

“Like, don’t try to slander my football skills because I’m just as good at music. You know what I’m saying, that’s dead wrong — that’s wrong.”

Toney’s career at UF was about making the right choices.

When he arrived during January of 2017, Toney still had designs on playing quarterback despite a logjam at the position among Feleipe Franks, Luke Del Rio and Trask. Following spring practices, Toney accepted his future potentially was brighter at wide receiver and occasionally Wildcat quarterback.

The position change was an adjustment for a player used to throwing, not catching passes. By the Gators’ Week 3 matchup against Tennessee, coaches had found a place for Toney’s talents.

Fans soon were exhilarated by each of his five touches, totaling 45 yards against the Vols. A week later, Toney scored a 36-yard touchdown at Kentucky and totaled 74 on six touches.

Yet his impact would be hit or miss much of his first three college seasons due to inconsistency and injury.

Toney would deliver home runs, like a 66-yard run and catch for the opening score of the Gators’ 2019 win against Miami. At times, he also could run 15, 20, 25 yards while avoiding tackles and end up corralled for a loss behind the line scrimmage.

Injuries sidelined the 6-foot, 193-pound Toney six games in 2019 and had cost him four in 2017, a potential concern for NFL teams considering him with a high draft pick.

“The thin, tall frame you may have to protect,” Pauline said.

Questions about Toney’s character could potentially influence NFL decision-makers, too.

Gainesville police pulled over Toney July 22, 2018, for seatbelt violation and discovered a loaded AR-15 gun in the back seat his car. Officers determined because the weapon was not concealed on his person, Toney did not violate Florida’s open-carry law.

Toney’s final college season, though, was free of injury or incident. Meanwhile, he caught more passes, compiled more yards and scored more touchdowns than during his previous three years combined.

Toney entered 2020 with 50 catches for 606 yards and two touchdowns but ended the season with 70 receptions for 985 yards and 10 scores. He totaled 1,145 yards from scrimmage, averaging 12.9 yards per touch, and scored 12 total touchdowns, including one on a punt return.

At Pro Day, Toney then displayed the top-end speed some questioned he had, covering 40 yards in 4.39 seconds, and the explosiveness to record a vertical leap of 39½ inches and a standing broad jump of nearly 12 feet.

“He keeps really erasing every question people have about him everywhere he goes,” UF coach Dan Mullen said. “I still think his receiver skills are developing. I still think he has a huge future.

“He’s just really scratching the surface right now.”

Back in Mobile at Blount High, where he retired Toney’s No. 4 jersey, Holly traces his former star’s success to many key factors.

“It all comes back to his family background, to his upbringing, to his humble spirit, to being coachable, and then all that poured into his talent,” Holly said. “The Bible says, a man’s gift makes room for him — and it’s making room for him. Being his high school coach, being a father figure in his life, it’s exciting to sit here and watch.”

Yet Toney still occasionally recalls those days as an All-State quarterback, with the ball in his hands every snap and his team’s fortunes riding on his shoulders. Toney also realizes his future lay elsewhere.

“I reflect on it from time to time, more on the basis of how it really changed my life in a way,” Toney said. “I wouldn’t be here today probably if I didn’t make that change; if I didn’t become a team player in that way. I realize what it’s actually done for me, like put me in a position to be successful.”

In the NFL, quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady might be the game’s biggest stars. Soon, no one in the league might have a bigger arm than Toney — just ask him.

“I threw 60 [yards] on my knee in high school,” he said. “Video on YouTube ... go look it up.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.