Two of the biggest emphases in the secondary this offseason were communication and cohesion. Being tall, fast and strong as an individual isn’t enough to shut down SEC receivers. Offensive coordinators are highly skilled at calling plays that are designed to make the defense beat itself.
Everybody has to be on the same page about what type of coverage they’re playing. If the cornerback lets the receiver go because he thinks the safety is going to pick him up but he doesn’t, the whole group looks terrible.
Too often last season, that’s exactly what happened. You could count on at least two or three coverage busts in every game.
While communication and cohesion within the entire secondary are a major talking point entering Saturday’s season opener, the Gators shouldn’t have to worry about at least two of their starters.
Trey Dean and Rashad Torrence have known each other since Torrence was an eighth grader and Dean was a high school sophomore. Both are from the Atlanta area, and they played on the same 7-on-7 team throughout their high school careers. The team was then known as “FSS” but has since changed its name to “Hustle Inc.” Dean started at one safety spot, Torrence at the other.
Dean and Torrence won all but one tournament that they played in together with FSS.
They both served as backups at Florida last season but did see some action together. They’ll be in the starting lineup against Florida Atlantic.
“It’s crazy,” Dean said. “No, we never envisioned that, but God always got a plan, so it happened that way. Two Georgia boys. So, we played real, real good in 7-on-7, so we’re going to show them what type of safety group we [are] starting on Saturday.”
Torrence said having a familiar face lining up next to him provides him with a sense of comfort. Because Dean is two years older, Torrence looks up to him.
“Being able to just play next to him is kind of like having a big brother just next to you,” Torrence said. “You know he’s got your back. I’ve got his back, and that kind of correlates when we’re on the field.”
Torrence received scholarship offers from a ton of major programs, including Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson, Notre Dame and Oregon.
As Torrence became a priority target for the Gators, Dean, a freshman at UF at the time, decided to take his recruitment into his own hands.
“I wanted Rashad real bad,” Dean said.
“I told him [there’s] nothing like the Swamp, and just Coach [Dan] Mullen and Coach [Todd] Grantham, I don’t think there’s a better coaching staff in the country than the University of Florida. In order to be the best, you’ve got to go with the best so they can teach you.”
Torrence said that his relationship with Dean was a huge factor in his decision to commit to Florida and not visit any other schools. He saw Dean enjoy success right away as a starting cornerback in 2018 and chose to reunite with his old buddy.
“Trey was a good reason why I came to Florida,” he said. “Just seeing his early success on the field as a freshman, it was kind of encouragement for me to come here. It was like ‘OK, I know he can do those things, and we played together, so why not give myself the opportunity at the same school with the same coaches and put myself ahead?’.”
Both of them enjoyed success in their limited time on the field last year. Dean significantly improved his tackling in his first year playing safety since high school. He started the SEC Championship Game and intercepted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. He recorded a career-high eight tackles against Tennessee and six against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
He’ll open this season at strong safety, where he’ll be asked to come down into the box in run support, play man and zone coverage and blitz. However, should injuries occur, he’s capable of playing all five spots in the secondary.
“Playing a lot of spots just shows his versatility,” Torrence said. “He can get down and cover. He comes down and hits. He shows great range in the post. Trey is like a Swiss army knife. Wherever you need him to be, he’s going to be there.”
Torrence will play the free safety position. He’ll be expected to erase any mistakes that the cornerbacks make either by making a play on the ball or blasting the receiver into next week (legally, of course).
Only time will tell if Dean and Torrence will be major upgrades at the safety position. One thing is for certain, however: they’ll have great chemistry.
Playing next to each other is second-nature to them.