Two Florida defensive backs have emerged as early standouts through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, putting themselves in position for more opportunities.
“I thought two guys that stood out to me on defense in the secondary that maybe are earning more opportunities are Lagonza [Hayward] and J’Vari Flowers,” head coach Jon Sumrall said Monday after Florida’s 52-3 win over Campbell.
“I thought J’Vari competed at the top of the route and played with a little bit of an edge and a demeanor about him that we need to play with on the outside,” Sumrall added. “Lagonza [Hayward] was a real bright spot last week, I thought.”
Sophomore safety Lagonza Hayward is Florida’s highest-rated defensive player through two games, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s totaled six tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups across 40 snaps.
In coverage, Hayward has allowed four catches for 15 yards on six targets and holds the highest coverage grade on the defense. He’s also tackled really well in space.
The 6-foot-1, 207-pound defensive back is an impressive athlete. His acceleration and physicality in both coverage and run support were on display against Campbell.
“I think everybody in the stadium probably felt it,” defensive coordinator Brad White said of Hayward. “Like you feel his snap, you feel his burst – it’s just different. There’s a suddenness to his play that’s kind of palpable.”
After playing mostly safety in Florida’s Week 1 matchup against FAU, Hayward played nearly 65% of his snaps at the STAR/nickel position in Week 2, splitting time with senior Kanye Clark.
Florida had previously mentioned working more players at STAR. The Gators believe Hayward’s skillset is a good fit for the physicality of the position. Either way, his versatility will be valuable for the Gators moving forward.
“He gets to be a little bit more reactive at that point, he gets to fit the run game a little bit quicker. And so it’s been a good transition for him,” White said. “Again, we talk all the time about versatility. It just gives us another piece as this season goes along to say, okay, we’ve got a guy that can play safety and Star.”
Sophomore J’Vari Flowers entered the season as one of four cornerbacks competing for snaps alongside Dijon Johnson, Ben Hanks III and Cormani McClain.
Flowers is coming off a dominant week in coverage, allowing one reception for negative one yard on four targets while breaking up three passes. He held Campbell’s quarterback to an NFL passer rating of 39.6 in the contest.
“I thought he competed at the top of the route. You saw the number of pass breakups he had on Saturday,” White said of Flowers. “Again, there’s still some technique things that we need to clean up with him, just with all those guys out there on the outside edge.”
Florida’s staff has been impressed by the competitiveness Flowers has shown through the first two weeks, particularly when the ball is in the air.
“You can win with competitive guys. Your competitive nature, your strain, has to go up at the catch point. That’s what he showed, and that’s what we want. That’s what we’re going to promote — guys that aren’t afraid to go try to make plays when the ball’s in the air, and we got to be smart when we do it,” White said.
The 5-foot-10, 189-pound cornerback has six tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups across 62 snaps, which are the third-most among Florida’s cornerbacks this season.
Senior cornerback Dijon Johnson has also been excellent in coverage, allowing just three catches for 28 yards on seven targets while holding opposing quarterbacks to an NFL passer rating of 14.9.