The Florida Gators have the best cornerback tandem in the country and they’re not afraid to tell you that themselves.
For years the Gators have boasted being “Defensive Back University” (DBU) and Preseason All-American Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson have taken it upon themselves to remove any question or debate to that moniker.
“We knew back in freshman year once we got our shot people would really start to take notice,” Tabor said of the duo.
The two have been attached at the hip this season. “The guys in the locker room joke, like, ‘Well we can’t see one without the other,” Tabor said Saturday night.” But it wasn’t always like that.
Tabor was the big five-star recruit coming out of high school and he enrolled early, months before Wilson arrived on campus. Getting into the program for spring allowed Tabor a head start, one that he took full advantage of. With Vernon Hargreaves patrolling one half of the field the two freshmen knew that they were competing for one spot.
“We was competing for the same spot because we had Vernon (Hargreaves),” Tabor said. “So, you know, we didn’t bounce ideas off each other, we really didn’t speak at all. It was kind of like we fighting for the same spot, so we weren’t friends at all. Like, we didn’t say anything, bounce ideas off each other, nothing.”
Both Tabor and Wilson played in all 12 of Florida’s games in 2014, Tabor earning five starts to Wilson’s two. Tabor led all freshmen with 31 tackles, broke up eight passes and had a SportsCenter Top-10, one-handed interception on the road at Vanderbilt. Wilson tallied 22 tackles, second only to Tabor and intercepted Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston on the road.
Towards the end of their first year in Gainesville the dynamic of their relationship changed. The writing was on the wall. Vernon Hargreaves was a year ahead of the two and destined to leave early for the NFL. They would both get their opportunity to prove how good they believed they were and could be.
“We were just like, man, we both can play and when we both get our shot people are going to really take notice,” Tabor said. “So at the end of freshman year we just became really close, started watching film together, talking more.”
An unfriendly rivalry has blossomed into what was on display Saturday night. With Florida’s offense sputtering, clinging to a 6-0 lead over Missouri, Tabor acted first. The junior jumped in front of a pass from Missouri quarterback Drew Lock and took it back to the end zone. The interception is Tabor’s 10th and the touchdown his third career score after a pick.
“I just congratulated him,” Wilson said. “Once he gets a pick, he already knows it’s time for me to get one.”
That has happened twice this season before. The first time it was after Wilson proclaimed that “Kentucky likes to throw the ball around a lot and we like teams that throw.” Both picked off Drew Barker in a 45-7 win. The duo each caught passes from Josh Dobbs two weeks later.
So when Wilson stepped in front of one of Lock’s passes on the very next drive you shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Definitely killed their confidence,” Wilson said of the two interceptions on consecutive drives. “They were kind of getting some runs on us and whatnot, but those two pick-sixes really killed their confidence.”
Drew Lock and Missouri came into the game as the SEC’s best passing offense (350.6 yards-per-game), Florida held them to 73 yards on Saturday. Lock led the league with 16 touchdowns as well, but at halftime he had one more completion to his own receivers than he had to Florida’s defensive backs.
“We’re always happy to play against teams that throw the ball because that’s always the outcome,” Wilson said. “I mean, Kentucky like to throw the ball around and you saw how that went. And now Missouri, I mean that’s just what we do.”
Tabor was a surefire first rounder before this season, while Wilson was really only known amongst Gator fans. They both have announced themselves as first round picks in the SEC and neither is afraid to tell you just where he thinks he and Teez stack up with any other pair in the country.
“We know what we can do. That’s 7 (interceptions) in 5 games between the two of us, two to the crib,” said Tabor.” We really don’t pay attention to anybody else. We feel like if we handle business, we’re the best.”
Wilson added.
“We always say ‘Man, we the best in the business.’”
They’re certainly not wrong.
They were on fuego, no doubt. I thought LSU was pretty hot tonight as well; unfortunately. Go Gators.