Safety Jordan Castell and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. are key returning pieces to Florida's secondary. (Photo: Gabriella Whisler/UAA Communications)
Gators Position Preview: Defensive Back
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators have many different faces in the secondary entering their third season under Billy Napier.
Former secondary coach Corey Raymond is back in Baton Rouge, replaced by newcomer Will Harris, a former defensive back at Southern Cal. Three regular starters in last season's rotation – cornerback Jalen Kimber, STAR Jaydon Hill and strong safety Miguel Mitchell – transferred.
You could sense change coming as soon as Missouri quarterback Brady Cook connected with Luther Burden III on fourth-and-17 in Columbia late last season. If the Gators get a stop, they become bowl-eligible. Instead, the play kept the Tigers' drive alive with less than 40 seconds remaining, leading to a game-winning field goal.
Hill and linebacker Mannie Nunnery, two of the three Gators in the area where Burden made the catch, are no longer at UF. Hill transferred to Texas A&M, and Nunnery is at Texas State. The lone player remaining is senior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., who enters his final season ranked Florida's top NFL prospect by Lindy's Sports.
Marshall's return, Harris' arrival, and the additions of veteran transfers Asa Turner, DJ Douglas and Trikweze Bridges give Florida's secondary a makeover in 2024. Similar to the first two levels of the defense, Napier seeks improvement from a unit that recorded only three interceptions a season ago.
The 36-year-old Harris spent last season as the assistant secondary coach with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, and he is young enough to relate to the players and experienced enough to serve as their teacher. Harris has a teammate in quality control coach Beyah Rasool, who joined Napier's staff in late spring and spent last season as cornerbacks coach at Bowling Green.
Harris has added a different flavor to help the Gators turn their fortunes around.
"If you sit down and watch a practice, Coach Harris is running with the ball. We're tackling Coach Harris. He's out there just like us with his cleats on, ready to play,'' sophomore safety Jordan Castell said. "That's a big difference. The tackling, like from the spring game, it just looks way better."
With the clock winding down on preseason camp, we continue our Gators Position Preview series with a closer look at the secondary.
Cornerback: Marshall led the Gators with 10 pass breakups last season and added 26 tackles and a sack. Marshall has the skill set coveted by NFL talent evaluators, who, like the Gators, want to see more dynamic plays from Marshall in his final year. Meanwhile, opposite Marshall is junior Devin Moore, who is primed for a breakout season based on the eye test. Moore's body is noticeably more defined following an offseason spent in the team's revamped strength and conditioning program. Slowed during camp due to a tonsil infection, Moore battled various ailments a season ago, so staying healthy has been challenging. Moore had six tackles, three PBUs and an interception last season as the backup to Kimber. Oregon transfer Trikweze Bridges has experience at cornerback and figures to add versatility to the secondary. Bridges can play corner, safety or STAR, and in his final three seasons with the Ducks, he played in 40 regular-season games. Sophomores Ja'Keem Jackson and Dijon Johnson add depth along with newcomers Jameer Grimsley, Teddy Foster and Colorado transfer Cormani McClain (see below).
Safety: The Gators reloaded at this position by adding Washington transfer Asa Turner and Tulane transfer DJ Douglas. Turner started 28 games in his career at Washington, and at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he adds a physical presence on the backend. Turner also knows what a winning culture looks and feels like, having played under first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer at Washington. Douglas, who began his career at Alabama before transferring to Tulane, recorded 54 tackles and three interceptions a season ago. Douglas started 12 games in 2023 and recorded a career-high seven tackles against SMU in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. Turner and Douglas join sophomore Jordan Castell, who proved to be one of the team's up-and-comers as a freshman by recording a team-high 60 tackles and starting the final 11 games. Castell is an underclassman but brings a veteran approach to practice each day. Sophomore Bryce Thornton and Bridges add depth with freshman Gregory Smith III, who may be a newcomer to monitor as the season progresses.
STAR: The Gators have Aaron Gates, Sharif Denson and freshman Josiah Davis primarily working at the hybrid defensive back/linebacker spot. Others could factor into the mix, though ideally, the tandem of sophomore Denson and redshirt freshman Gates develops a grip on the job for this season and beyond. Both players saw limited action in 2023 but impressed Harris during spring camp. Davis is another player possibly in the mix for a first-year role.
Newcomer Asa Turner, No. 20, started parts of four seasons at Washington. (Photo: UAA Communications)
If season started today: The rebuilt secondary would include a mixture of old and new, with Castell, Turner and Douglas likely taking the most reps on the backend, Moore and Marshall at the corners, and Gates, Denson or Bridges at STAR. Regardless of the combinations, the Gators have a group of 10 or 11 defensive backs expected to factor into the equation.
Speculation: When McClain joined the program as a walk-on after transferring from Colorado, the move pumped up Gators fans who followed him closely in recruiting. McClain is a former prized recruit whose stay in Boulder did not last long under the care of Neon Deion. However, McClain is a long-term project looking to resurrect his career, and the Gators offered an olive branch to see if he can fulfill his potential.
Quote of Note: "I just feel like the energy and the vibe is there. I feel like in the DB room, it can make a change. We only had like three [interceptions] last year. I know that's a big emphasis for Coach Harris — get the ball. If the ball's in the air, it's ours. I just feel like the vibe and the energy is there." — Jason Marshall Jr. on the revamped secondary
