Sophomore safety Jordan Castell was one of Florida’s more productive freshmen on both sides of the football in 2023. Despite the struggles on defense last season, Castell earned Freshman All-American honors and All-SEC honors after leading the Gators’ defense in tackles with 60 total (30 solo).
Everything was new for the Orlando native during his freshman season with the Gators, but Castell still found a way to flourish on the field with a struggling defense. Castell posted a defensive grade of 75.7, which ranked 5th among freshmen safeties in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6-2, 210-pound safety was also Florida’s 3rd highest-graded player on defense while playing the most snaps out of any Gator defender as a rookie (660).
“A lot of it was new. I played a little safety in high school, but was almost strictly a corner; so I was playing man,” Castell said on transitioning from corner to safety. “Just go out there with confidence. If I see something, believe it. I had was a lot of the guys believe in me by showing up in practice and all that and being the same guy every day. That helped out a lot.”
Other than Florida’s loss to Arkansas last season where Castell recorded a season high of 11 tackles and his first-career interception, Florida’s 29-10 win over Tennessee last season was Castell’s first big performance in just his third ever collegiate game. It’s clear to everyone in the building that the sky is the limit for the second-year player, even the head ball coach.
“Jordan Castell is one of the better secondary players in the country,” Napier said on Castell.
After recording a total of 10 tackles against the Volunteers, Castell was named Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week. Getting the experience he got last season has only made him more comfortable and prepared heading into his second season.
“I’m way more comfortable this year. Last year, there was a lot of things going on,” Castell said. “I’m like, ‘Man, I ain’t never played around this many people before. This is crazy. All the fans, all the people, especially Tennessee. Tennessee was flying around the ball, as soon as they had a snap. But this year I’m way more comfortable, but not just me. It’s all the freshmen that came with me. So that’s a good thing for me, for sure.”
The Gators will return nine players that gained experience as freshmen last season on defense. Not only does Castell feel more comfortable in his role, but so do his second-year teammates.
Jordan Castell, Kelby Collins, Aaron Gates, Sharif Denson and TJ Searcy were all listed inside the Top-15 of Florida’s highest-graded defensive players to finish the season.
“I’d say you still just have to believe,” Castell said. “My freshman year you could look at the record and all that, but we had so many freshmen play and we all coming back. So [it’s] next year and we’re like, ‘Let’s turn this around.’ We don’t want to go thru that again. We’re losing that whole experience from last year.”
Changes made in the film room have also been a key factor in building the chemistry and communication between all players on the defensive side of the ball. Last year, position groups were split up during film meetings, but that hasn’t been the case anymore this season.
“We’re all in one room this year. We’re all on the same page,” Castell said. “It’s not like we go out there in practice — and I’m not trying to compare things to last year — but the communication is so much better. We see things faster, things like that. The safeties, the stars, everybody in the same room. At first it was the corners, safeties and stars, but everybody being in the same room makes everything so much easier.”
With Florida adding experienced players like Asa Turner over the offseason, I think this defense takes a step in the communication department in year three. Having players that understand the defensive scheme allows everyone else to play more confident and free, especially when everyone is on the same page.
The Gators are set to return a total of eight players with experience in the secondary including four transfers with a combined total of 249 games played. Florida has the depth they’ve been looking for, and I think that translates to better communication and more efficient play for the Gators’ secondary in 2024.