As summer drags on, college football season slowly inches closer and closer. In late July, there are a lot more questions than answers about how any team’s season will shake out. In this series, Gator Country will highlight the biggest questions for every Florida Gators position group and the affects the answers will have on this season.
For the second half of this series, we switch gears towards defense. The stamp of Florida football. Or so it has been for a while now, but could that change this season? It’s still up in the air. After losing seven starters to the NFL, there are so many unknowns for this defensive unit, possibly leaving even more questions to be answered on defense than on offense in 2017.
We’ve covered the defensive line and linebackers so far. Defense now comes to a close as we take a look at Florida’s defensive backs.
Defensive Back
Florida has long claimed itself as DBU, and has held a strong argument for that title. It seems as though a player or two wearing the orange and blue is considered one of the best defensive backs in the country every single year. Well, last year the Gators had three of those players, and all three have since signed NFL contracts. Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye all left their mark on the Florida program, but left a young, inexperienced team behind. The talent to rebuild the DBU name is still there, but is largely unproven. There’s a lot of growing up to do and little time to do it for this group.
- How will the Gators replace Marcell Harris?
The season ending injury suffered by the redshirt senior safety was not only a blow to the defensive back unit, but to the entire defense. Harris was one of the most experienced players left on this young defense after losing so much talent to the NFL. He was Florida’s leading tackler in 2016 with 73 and was also expected to provide the much-needed veteran leadership for the defense this season.
Harris is a huge loss in more ways than one for Florida, but the only thing left to do is move on. It changes the schematics quite a bit, as sophomore Chauncey Gardner will have to move back to safety with redshirt senior Nick Washington, and a freshman will likely be thrown into the fire early at a starting cornerback spot across from senior Duke Dawson.
All in all, this isn’t too bad. Gardner is well on his way to being All-SEC or even an All-American and got a good deal of experience at safety as a freshman last season. He could even be a better fit into Florida’s scheme this season, with Randy Shannon likely limiting the nickel package and moving more towards a 4-3 defense.
Harris was great in run support last season, but with a third linebacker in play, Florida’s safeties will be needed more in pass coverage, which is where Gardner shines. Harris and Gardner have opposite strengths, but Gardner’s strengths play better into the new scheme. Gardner also possesses great leadership ability despite only being a sophomore, so that softens the blow of losing Harris a little more.
With Gardner there to replace Harris, the problem at safety lies in the lack of experienced depth. Behind the experience of Gardner and Washington, there is next to none. Sophomore Jeawon Taylor is the only other one with some experience, as he played limited time at safety as a freshman, totaling seven tackles on the season.
Then there is redshirt freshman Quincy Lenton, who missed last season with a broken foot. True freshmen Brian Edwards and Donovan Stiner could also compete for some snaps this season. With so little experience left at defensive back for the Gators, competition is wide open for the young guys.
- Leading to the next question: Which freshmen will step up?
Florida brought in six freshman defensive backs for 2017, and all six of them have a shot to find themselves some early playing time. As mentioned, Edwards and Stiner could get some early opportunities with the loss of Harris at safety. Brad Stewart, Shawn Davis, Marco Wilson and CJ Henderson will compete for playing time and even a starting corner back spot. Assuming senior Joseph Putu or redshirt freshmen C.J. McWilliams and McArthur Burnett do not show something special in fall camp, it will be a true freshman’s job to lose.
The big question is who will it be? All four should start on pretty even playing ground and battle it out from there in practice and in live action. Stewart and Wilson seem to be the big names going into things, but Davis and Henderson shouldn’t be overlooked. This freshman class brings a ton of potential at cornerback, and it will be fun to watch these guys grow.
While it is fun and exciting to have so much young talent at the position, there will be some growing pains. There is no way around it. As good as Gardner is, he made his mistakes last season, and even a couple costly ones, as did every other freshman who saw the field. These guys will still be learning the defense and figuring out how they fit in, and sometimes they will find themselves in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
That’s what happens when great defenses are forced to rebuild. Growing pains are inevitable. The Gators are just going to have to hope the mistakes are limited and don’t come in the big moments.
Even more crucial than limiting mistakes is for this young unit to stay healthy. Further injury to the few veterans Florida has left could be detrimental. Staying healthy and growing up fast are the biggest keys for Florida’s defensive backs this season.