Duke Dawson during practice in spring camp. (Photo: Paige Santiago/For UAA Communications)
Why Duke Dawson is going to SEC Football Media Days
Saturday, July 8, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter
Senior defensive back gets turn in spotlight after waiting for his shot.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The hunt for the next big thing in sports is always present.
In college football, it's called recruiting. In professional sports, it's call drafting or trading or free-agent spending.
And then there are cases such as Gators defensive back Duke Dawson, one of three players headed to Hoover, Ala., on Tuesday with head coach Jim McElwain for the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days.
Dawson enters his senior season tightly wrapped by the spotlight the way other UF defensive backs in recent years have been. Specifically, Vernon Hargreaves III, Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson.
The three former Gator cornerbacks all entered their junior seasons with expectations of being a high-round NFL draft pick the following spring. All three accomplished their goals, with Hargreaves going in the first round in 2016 and Wilson and Tabor in the second round in April.
In Dawson's case, he needed to come back for his senior season to garner such attention, and more importantly, prove he is in the same class as his former teammates.
Based on preseason lists, Dawson has supporters who consider him Florida's top player, such as Sports Illustrated. The magazine's online staff ranks Dawson the 72nd-best player in college football, the highest-rated UF player (kicker Eddy Pineiro No. 100) in SI's list. Athlon Sports named Dawson a preseason second-team All-American recently.
Here is a closer look at why Dawson is among the trio of Gators heading to SEC Football Media Days:
THE PLAYER: A member of Will Muschamp's final recruiting class in 2014, Dawson was one of five defensive backs signed that year. Tabor and Wilson lived up to their billing while former Gators J.C. Jackson and Deiondre Porter (a quarterback/defensive back at Tampa's Jefferson High and developed as a cornerback at UF) ran afoul of the law and became non-factors. Meanwhile, Dawson developed steadily and waited his turn. He has appeared in 37 games the past three seasons and registered 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He has played a hybrid nickel/corner position most of his career and had his best season in 2016, leading the team with seven pass breakups. Dawson evaluated his draft options after the season but opted to come back to try to improve his stock. With Tabor and Wilson gone, Dawson is slated to start at corner as a senior and must perform at a high level for the Gators to continue their defensive dominance of the past few seasons.
THE PERSONALITY: Dawson starred at Dixie County (Fla.) High prior to joining the Gators and grew up in tiny Cross City, a piece of rural North Florida located off U.S. Highway 19 toward the start of the Panhandle. Reminiscent of the place he grew up, Dawson has an easy-going disposition and exhibits a casual demeanor around his teammates, coaches and fans. On the field, he has a serious streak that takes over. He also had a strong football role model as a teenager growing up in a rural area in former Packers All-Pro safety Nick Collins, also a product of Dixie County High.
THE PROJECTION: The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Dawson has speed, quickness and a level of physicality that makes him a strong candidate to be UF's most-improved player in 2017 considering his increased role. What he lacks is being consistently matched against the opponent's top target for most of the game, so his coverage skills will be tested. In addition, Dawson will be asked to take on more of a leadership role in a young secondary, which will provide insight for NFL personnel into those all-important intangibles that can make or break a player's professional career. The challenge of replacing Tabor and Wilson – both ranked near the top of the country in the modern-day analytics used to evaluate defensive backs in coverage and target percentage – is a big one for the Gators. If Dawson steps up and proves he is one of the best 100 players in college football as some say, he will follow Tabor and Wilson into the NFL.
In college football, it's called recruiting. In professional sports, it's call drafting or trading or free-agent spending.
And then there are cases such as Gators defensive back Duke Dawson, one of three players headed to Hoover, Ala., on Tuesday with head coach Jim McElwain for the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days.
Dawson enters his senior season tightly wrapped by the spotlight the way other UF defensive backs in recent years have been. Specifically, Vernon Hargreaves III, Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson.
The three former Gator cornerbacks all entered their junior seasons with expectations of being a high-round NFL draft pick the following spring. All three accomplished their goals, with Hargreaves going in the first round in 2016 and Wilson and Tabor in the second round in April.
In Dawson's case, he needed to come back for his senior season to garner such attention, and more importantly, prove he is in the same class as his former teammates.
Based on preseason lists, Dawson has supporters who consider him Florida's top player, such as Sports Illustrated. The magazine's online staff ranks Dawson the 72nd-best player in college football, the highest-rated UF player (kicker Eddy Pineiro No. 100) in SI's list. Athlon Sports named Dawson a preseason second-team All-American recently.
@SInow's top 100 players in #CFB
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) June 22, 2017
#75 - Jalen Hurts
#74 - Jarrett Stidham
?? pic.twitter.com/eiFawtxAKu
Here is a closer look at why Dawson is among the trio of Gators heading to SEC Football Media Days:
THE PLAYER: A member of Will Muschamp's final recruiting class in 2014, Dawson was one of five defensive backs signed that year. Tabor and Wilson lived up to their billing while former Gators J.C. Jackson and Deiondre Porter (a quarterback/defensive back at Tampa's Jefferson High and developed as a cornerback at UF) ran afoul of the law and became non-factors. Meanwhile, Dawson developed steadily and waited his turn. He has appeared in 37 games the past three seasons and registered 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. He has played a hybrid nickel/corner position most of his career and had his best season in 2016, leading the team with seven pass breakups. Dawson evaluated his draft options after the season but opted to come back to try to improve his stock. With Tabor and Wilson gone, Dawson is slated to start at corner as a senior and must perform at a high level for the Gators to continue their defensive dominance of the past few seasons.
THE PERSONALITY: Dawson starred at Dixie County (Fla.) High prior to joining the Gators and grew up in tiny Cross City, a piece of rural North Florida located off U.S. Highway 19 toward the start of the Panhandle. Reminiscent of the place he grew up, Dawson has an easy-going disposition and exhibits a casual demeanor around his teammates, coaches and fans. On the field, he has a serious streak that takes over. He also had a strong football role model as a teenager growing up in a rural area in former Packers All-Pro safety Nick Collins, also a product of Dixie County High.
THE PROJECTION: The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Dawson has speed, quickness and a level of physicality that makes him a strong candidate to be UF's most-improved player in 2017 considering his increased role. What he lacks is being consistently matched against the opponent's top target for most of the game, so his coverage skills will be tested. In addition, Dawson will be asked to take on more of a leadership role in a young secondary, which will provide insight for NFL personnel into those all-important intangibles that can make or break a player's professional career. The challenge of replacing Tabor and Wilson – both ranked near the top of the country in the modern-day analytics used to evaluate defensive backs in coverage and target percentage – is a big one for the Gators. If Dawson steps up and proves he is one of the best 100 players in college football as some say, he will follow Tabor and Wilson into the NFL.
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