When it comes to the quality of the defensive backs room heading into the start of the 2023 football season, some may question whether it has taken a step forward from last year. The answer to that is yes, most definitely. With the addition of a specific transfer cornerback, and fresh young talent added from the 2022 recruiting cycle, the depth of that room has improved a small notch. Below I give you a look at the current defensive backs room, breakout players to look out for, as well as a prediction of the depth chart for the secondary heading into week 1 against Utah.
Depth at the cornerback position isn’t at its best, but it certainly improved from last year. One key player to keep a steady eye on this year will be Georgia cornerback transfer Jalen Kimber. Kimber saw decent action as a true freshman where he played in 3 games. He made his collegiate debut at Arkansas, appeared in the Peach Bowl, and tallied a tackle against UT.
Unfortunately, Kimber was sidelined the following season due to a shoulder injury against UAB that required surgery. That all looks to change in 4 weeks as Kimber is 100% and is ready to go in week 1. The highly recruited 4-star CB from Mansfield, Texas looks to be a big problem for opposing QB’s this season.
One name in particular has had Gator Nation buzzing the last couple of weeks after multiple players and coaches set big expectations and gave high praise for the incoming freshman this season. Freshman CB Devin Moore who chose the Gators over the Irish last signing day in February looks to be making huge impressions this spring and fall. With R-So CB Jaydon Hill still recovering from injury, Moore looks to have taken over the role of CB2 on the other side of Sophomore CB Jason Marshall, as he has been seen taking reps with the starting defense. Marshall who had a terrific freshman season played in 13 games in which he started 6 of them. Where he tallied 1 int, 23 total tackles, and multiple PBU’s.
So, by the looks of it, you could say the cornerback room is in decent shape compared to last year in terms of depth and talent. Especially under the teachings of Coach Corey Raymond. I wholeheartedly expect Jason Marshall and either Devin Moore or Jalen Kimber to take the other CB slot this upcoming season if CB Jaydon Hill still isn’t ready to go by the start of the season. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Sophomore CB Avery Helm gets significant reps this season with the second team. Below I give my predictions of the cornerback depth chart for the 2022 football season.
1st team:
So. CB Jason Marshall Jr.
R-So. CB Jaydon Hill (if healthy)
2nd team:
Freshman CB Devin Moore
R-So. CB Jalen Kimber or So. CB Avery Helm
Now when it comes to the Safety and Nickel position, you could almost say the same thing. It’s not at its best, but it has most definitely improved along with the Cornerback room. Senior Safety Trey Dean and Sophomore Safety Rashad Torrence, followed by a young but very talented safety room, are two players that look to help make Florida DBU again. In 2021 Trey Dean registered 88 total tackles, 1 interception, and 8 PBU’s. With Dean not entering the draft and coming back for his senior season, you could say he’s starving for a huge year.
Now Torrence is someone many thinks will have a huge breakout season this year. Keep an eye on the sophomore safety to rise dramatically on draft boards in the next couple of years if so. Torrence recorded 87 total tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 PBU’s just as a freshman.
Sophomore Safety Donovan McMillon and R-Fr. Safety Kamar Wilcoxson will be on the list of names mentioned quite a bit this season. I expect both to get a decent amount of playing time this year backing up Trey Dean and Rashad Torrence.
McMillon, who was a highly rated 4-star Safety who also wrestled in high school recorded 10 total tackles and 6 solos, in all 13 games he appeared in his freshman season. He also registered an INT in the spring game a couple of months ago. I expect the Sophomore Safety to take a step up this season.
Kamar Wilcoxson who was originally a 2021 commit who reclassified to the 2020 class, was a 4-star prospect coming out of IMG academy that Florida fans seemed to want miserably. Kamar, who was once committed to Florida and then Tennessee, eventually re-committed and signed with the good guys back in the 2020 class a couple of years back. Since then, when healthy, Wilcoxson was one who took advantage of every little opportunity he got. Where in the two appearances he made his freshman year, he recorded 3 tackles and a fumble recovery before getting injured. This forced Kamar to have surgery and redshirt for the 2021 football season.
The Nickelback position is probably the one position I’m most eager to look out for when it comes to the secondary. It’s one position that you must be very versatile to play and is a position a lot of our defensive backs could play given some of their strengths. There are 2 specific players though, that I think can make a huge jump at that position this year. One is Junior DB Jadarrius Perkins and Sophomore Db Tre’Vez Johnson. Along with one young star who has the chance to make some very loud noise this season.
Johnson, who’s racked up 38 career tackles, 1 sack, 1 int, and 4 PBU’s looks to also take a big leap this year after finally getting to play in defense other than Todd Grantham’s. Which he, as well as many others along with Perkins, seemed to struggle with. I’d look for him to have a huge year in Coach Toney’s defense, along with Perkins who had a decent season last year racking up 22 total tackles in 6 games.
There’s one certain player though that I think many gator fans are excited to see step on the field, and fortunately for them, I think we’ll see him quite a bit this season. Freshman Safety Kamari Wilson out of IMG academy was the first big 5-star Billy Napier landed as soon as he stepped on campus. Which ended up sending gator fans in a frenzy. Kamari is arguably the most talented defensive back in the room just as a freshman. He’s one who saw some great action in the spring game and seems like could pick things up very fast and have a major impact on this defense.
Expect most players in this secondary to take a huge leap playing under Coach Toney instead of the man they were playing under before. This secondary is in great hands, and we should expect great things from that group this season. Below is my predicted depth chart for the safety/nickel position for the 2022 football season.
1st team:
Safety – Senior S Trey Dean
Safety – So. S Rashad Torrence
Nickel – So. S Tre’Vez Johnson
2nd team:
Safety – R-Fr. S Kamar Wilcoxson
Safety – So. S Donovan McMillon
Nickel – Junior S Jadarrius Perkins or Fr. S Kamari Wilson