The Florida Gators rotation at safety hasn’t been a fan favorite this season. Depending on who you ask the origin of the decision to rotate safeties as frequently as Florida does. When Shawn Davis was asked in September he said it was the player’s idea and something they presented to safety coach Ron English, who went along with it.
When Donovan Stiner was asked on Wednesday night, he had this to say.
“Coach English kind of did that, he split us up frees and strongs, so, two frees and two strongs, so I think that’s how he likes to play it and he said he had the personnel for it so that’s why we started doing it. We did it last year, too.”
The rotation typically matches Jeawon Taylor and Stiner together on the field at the same time with the duo of Davis and Brad Stewart together. Stewart missed the first two games of the season and Taylor injured his shoulder in the Miami game, so the rotation wasn’t as prominent for the first few games. With all four safeties in the game, it’s been a more prominent rotation.
“It’s set all through the game unless Coach forgets or something, to tell somebody to go in,” Davis said in September. (Ron English coaches from the box and isn’t on the field). “Other than that it’s set through the game.”
How that rotation gest set and who decides on it may yield different answers depending on who you ask on which day but the buck stops at Todd Grantham’s desk. He’s the defensive coordinator and the one that makes the final decisions about his defense. An artist wouldn’t sign their name on somebody else’s work on a canvas and a chef isn’t putting their name under the golden arches at a McDonald’s.
If the safeties are rotating that means Grantham has signed off on it and continues to do so.
“We just felt like with the guys that we have, they all have talent, they all have ability. It’s better to play all four of those guys say in the 40s as opposed to a couple guys 75 or 80,” he said. “I mean trying to keep guys fresh. So really it’s just a matter of trying to keep guys fresh and into what we’re doing. We have the luxury of having four guys that we can do that.”
The Gators’ defense was on the field for 78 plays against South Carolina — a season-high. The next closest to that was 76 against Kentucky and 66 against Miami. Grantham’s defense has taken a beating in the last two games, giving up 511 yards and 42 points to LSU followed by 387 yards and 27 points to South Carolina (Florida was allowing just 9.5 points per game before that span).
Florida will play Georgia in a week’s time and the safety rotation will still be there. The players and coaches both feel its in the best interest of the team and gets the most out of the players.
Terrible idea. Davis and Edwards/Dean should start full time. Let Kimbrough play the slot… he’s fast with great hips. Stiner and Taylor should not see the field unless its mop up time or its a cupcake. They are undisciplined and are always out of position.
But what do I know♂️