The No. 1 jersey has rich history at UF. What will it take to wear it for Dan Mullen?

Some of the Florida Gators' top players in program history wore No. 1 during their collegiate career.

Percy Harvin. Reggie Nelson. Vernon Hargreaves. Jon Bostic. Keiwan Ratliff A rich diversity of talent and All-America accolades.

But ever since Hargreaves left UF after the 2015 season and went on to become the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Florida has not had a player don the No. 1. This year will likely be the same, according to coach Dan Mullen.

"You've got to be a baller to be No. 1," Mullen said. "I don't know if I have anybody at No. 1 just yet. I don't know if anybody's done enough in general."

That's understandable. The Gators are coming off a 4-7 season and players have had just five months to impress their new coach. Some showed flashes throughout spring, but there's still a lot for this team to prove as they get ready for the 2018 season.

The next best thing for those players that want to wear No. 1? Any of the other single-digit uniforms. Wearing any number from 1 to 9 at the collegiate level typically signifies that you're one of the top players on the team.

Demand is high. So is the standard Mullen is setting in his return to Gainesville.

"You want the hardest challenge as a head coach? Jersey numbers," Mullen said. "Right? Because how mathematics work, there's only nine numbers that are single-digit. Because zero, you can't be No. 0. There's probably about 65 guys that want one of those single-digit jerseys. So I mean it is, that is the least favorite job of being a head coach is sorting out jersey numbers."

And more goes into it than just production in practice and on gameday, Mullen said.

"A lot of it is GPA based," Mullen said. "If you aren't in the Champions Club don't even come talk to me about it, if you aren't a champion. You've got to make sure you're doing things right to get a good jersey.

This story was originally published May 10, 2018 at 10:39 AM with the headline "The No. 1 jersey has rich history at UF. What will it take to wear it for Dan Mullen?."