OGT: USF at #13 FLORIDA -- September 6, 2025 -- 4:15 PM [SECN]

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THE STORYLINE . . .

• Florida hosts South Florida for the third time in school history in the fourth-ever meeting between the schools.

• The Gators enter riding an SEC-high, five-game winning streak that is tied for the longest nationally alongside Ohio State, Illinois, Memphis and Air Force.

• Across the five-game win streak, Florida has outscored teams by 23.6 points per game (170-52, +118).

• Florida has allowed 17 points or fewer in five-straight contests for an average of 10.4 points allowed per game.

• The Gators are coming off their first shutout in 46 games (Oct. 9, 2021 vs. Vanderbilt) and most points scored (55) in 42 contests, signifying the fewest points allowed and most points scored of theBilly Napier era.

• In Week 1, Florida set a team record with two first downs allowed and had zero penalties for the second time ever.

• Week 1 marked the first game in UF history with zero points allowed and zero penalties (also zero turnovers).

• Entering Week 2, the Gators are the only FBS team yet to commit a penalty.

• Florida grades as the No. 3 team in the FBS, backed by the No. 3 run defense and No. 5 overall defense, per PFF.

• Thirteen Florida true freshmen debuted in the Week 1 victory over LIU (eight on defense, five on offense).

• The Gators are 3-0 in the all-time series vs. USF including 2-0 at home, most recently posting a 31-28 win on Sept. 17, 2022 for Napier’s second victory as UF head coach. Florida has been ranked in every matchup.

• Going back two meetings to Sept. 11, 2021, Florida dominated, 42-20, while totaling 666 yards of offense (sixthmost all-time) on 363 yards rushing and 303 yards passing.
» It marked one of four times since 1996 that Florida eclipsed 300 yards passing and rushing simultaneously.

• In 2010, Florida defeated USF in The Swamp in the first-ever meeting, 38-14, thanks to 139 yards and one touch- down from RB Jeff Demps and an 172-yard, two touchdown game (18-for-31) by QB John Brantley.

• Florida has outscored USF, 111-62 (+49 pts / 16.3 PPG), and out-gained USF, 1,418 to 1,029 (+389 yds / 129.7 YPG).

• The 2025 Gators return 13 starters from 2025, which is tied for the 10th-most in the FBS and second in the SEC.

• Florida finished 8-5 last season after staring down a 4-5 record following a 49-17 loss at No. 5 Texas on Nov. 9.

• With the No. 1 SOS in the country, Florida is the only team in the nation with four opponents ranked in the Preseason AP Top 10, and is one of four teams (all in SEC) with seven opponents ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25.

• Napier is over .500 at Florida (20-19) for this first time since Nov. 3, 2023 (11-10).

• The Gators have forced a takeaway in 11-straight games, forcing a turnover in 13 of 14 contests since the start of 2024.

• Since 2018, Napier ranks 10th among active FBS head coaches in the FBS with 60 total victories.

• Florida’s all-time, NCAA-record scoring streak currently sits at 462-consecutive games dating back to 1988.

• Week 1 vs. LIU marked the 13th-straight sellout in The Swamp dating back to Week 3 of the 2023 season.

• Florida has won five-straight games in The Swamp by an average of 22.4 points (178-66).

 

FLORIDA'S 5 GAME WIN STREAK . . .

• Florida’s five-game winning streak is the longest in the SEC and tied for the longest in the FBS.

• In the five games dating back to 2024, Florida outscored teams by 118 total points, or 23.6 per game (170-52).

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• As a result, the Gators have won five-straight games for the first time since Oct. 31-Dec. 5, 2020 (six).

• The 2024 season was the first time Florida closed out the season with four-straight wins (def. No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss, FSU & Tulane) since the 2019 campaign (Vanderbilt, Missouri, FSU, Virginia – Orange Bowl).

• In 2024, Florida posted back-to-back upset wins over AP Top 25 opponents (No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss) as an unranked team for the first time since Oct. 11-18, 2003 (No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Arkansas). This was the first time the aforementioned feat was accomplished in consecutive home games.

• The win vs. No. 9 Ole Miss marked UF’s first home victory as a double-digit underdog and UF’s second largest upset win overall in the last 45 seasons (behind topping No. 16 LSU as a 14-point road dog in 2016).

 

DJ TURN IT UP: THE LAGWAY FILE . . .

• QB DJ Lagway improved to 7-1 as a starter in Week 1, throwing a touchdown in his sixth-straight game played while tying his career high with three touchdown passes (second time in career, 2024 vs. Samford).

• Lagway completed 15-of-18 passes for 120 yards and now owns 15 career touchdown passes.

• With a 194.3 rating vs. in Week 1 vs. LIU, Lagway posted the second-highest rating of his career and the fourth-best rating of any UF quarterback in the Napier era (2022-25).

• Lagway’s 194.3 rating ranks 17th in the FBS and third in the SEC behind Taylen Green and Diego Pavia.

• Lagway’s 83.3% completion pct. is tied for fifth in the FBS and leads the SEC. • Meanwhile, his 16.7% touchdown pct. ranks fifth in the FBS and second in the SEC behind Taylen Green.

• Lagway has posted a quarterback rating above 134.0 in seven-straight games.

• In Week 1, Lagway delivered a 150.0-plus rating for the seventh time in his career.

• Lagway surpassed the 2,000 career passing yards mark in Week 1 (2,035).

• In games started by Lagway, Florida is averaging 9.3 yards per pass to opponents’ 5.7 YPP, and 68 points off turnovers compared to opponents’ 21 points.

• Lagway owns 17 big-time throws to just one turnover-worthy play on deep balls in his career, per PFF.

• Lagway has completed 13 passes of 40-plus yards across his 210 career attempts (130-of-210, 61.9%).

• Lagway led all FBS true freshman quarterbacks with at least 125 pass attempts with a 154.9 rating last season - 10.9 points higher than the next-closest true freshman passer (Marcel Reed, Texas A&M).

• Lagway finished with the 12th-best passer rating in UF program history last season at 154.9, which is the best ever for a UF true freshman.

• Lagway ranked third among FBS passers with a 95.8 passing grade on deep throws in 2024 (20-plus yards) per PFF, behind only Syracuse’s Kyle McCord and Ohio State’s Will Howard.

• Making his seventh-career start in the Gasparilla Bowl, Lagway improved to 6-0 in games he starts and finishes en route to throwing a career-high 35 times (22-of-35) for 305 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for a 134.1 rating - all while taking home Gasparilla Bowl MVP honors.

• Lagway’s six wins in 2024 tied Chris Leak (6-3, 2003) for the most ever by a UF true freshman quarterback.

• Although Lagway was Florida’s fifth true freshman quarterback to start against Florida State, he became the first of that contingent to defeat the Seminoles in 2024.

• Lagway holds status as the third Gators true freshman QB to start at home vs. a Top 25 opponent and the first QB to win, doing so in consecutive weeks with signature victories over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss.

• Making his first-career start in the Week 2 win over Samford, Lagway passed for the most yards ever (456) by a Florida true freshman quarterback, breaking Chris Leak’s mark of 269 vs. Kentucky in 2003.

 

THIS O-LINE MIGHT BE HIGHLY OFFENSIVE . . .

• Entering the 2025 season, Florida’s offensive line boasted 223 combined games played, which ranked 11th in the FBS and fourth in the SEC behind Auburn (236), Texas A&M (235) and Mississippi State (227).

• The Florida O-line also entered with 109 career starts, which ranked 14th in the FBS and fifth in the SEC.

• Across Florida’s active five-game winning streak, the Gators have allowed just 26 tackles for loss and eight sacks while tallying 45 TFLs and 20 sacks on defense.

• Returning starters include All-American C Jake Slaughter (13 starts), Preseason First Team All-SEC OL Austin Barber (13), OL Damieon George Jr. (10) and OL Knijeah Harris (13), who combined for 49 starts last season.

• UF offensive linemen did not allow a QB hit in Week 1 while ranking No. 12 in the FBS in run blocking (76.3).

• Slaughter (91.5) and Barber (91.3) were Florida’s highest-graded offensive players in Week 1 vs. LIU.

• Barber’s 91.3 overall grade and 90.3 run blocking grade both rank second among FBS offensive tackles.

• Barber did not allow a QB pressure across 44 Week 1 snaps for a 100% block rate.

• RT Bryce Lovett started Week 1 vs. LIU after playing all 13 games (three starts) at right guard in 2024.

• OL Caden Jones (75.6) and OL Roderick Kearney (74.6) finished among Florida’s top-10-graded offensive players in Week 1, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively.

• In 2024, the Gators allowed just 20 sacks all season, which ranked third in the SEC and 40th nationally.

• UF graded as the No. 11 pass blocking team in the FBS (79.8) and was second in the SEC behind Texas.

• Florida has allowed 77 sacks in 39 games under HC Billy Napier, ranking sixth-lowest in the SEC.


SLAUGHTERING THE COMPETITION . . .

• All-American C Jake Slaughter grades as the top FBS center (91.5) and owns the run best blocking grade (90.2) among FBS centers through Week 1, per PFF.

• His PFF grade has increased every season: 2021 (59.0), 2022 (69.4), 2023 (78.4), 2024 (82.0) and 2025 (91.5).

• Across 37 Week 1 snaps, Slaughter did not allow a QB pressure for a 100% block rate, per PFF.

• Slaughter was named a 2024 First Team All-American by the AP, ESPN and PFF after finishing with the sixthbest PFF grade in the FBS at the position (82.0).

• As Florida’s first-ever First Team All-American center, Slaughter joined Gators Bill Carr (1966) and Maurkice Pouncey (2009) as UF All-Americans at the position.

• Slaughter has allowed just 13 hurries, three sacks and two QB hits across 1,434 career snaps from 2021-25.

• Slaughter allowed one sack, zero QB hits, eight hurries and nine pressures in 402 pass block snaps in 2024.

• Slaughter ranked top-20 nationally in both run blocking (eighth, 80.1) and pass blocking (17th, 84.2) in 2024.

 

BAUGHLIN’ BELLCOWS . . .

• Florida has five of its top six rushers from last season back in terms of net yardage, led by sophomore RB Jadan Baugh, who has started five of the last eight games after earning the Week 1 start vs. LIU.

• Leading Florida with 133 carries and 673 rushing yards in 2024, Baugh opened his sophomore 2025 season by rushing for 104 yards on nine carries (11.6 YPC) to notch his second-career, 100-yard game in Week 1.

• If Baugh eclipses 100 yards in Week 2, it would be the sixth time (fifth UF player) a Gator opened the season with consecutive 100-yard games (Emmitt Smith 1988 & 1989, Errict Rhett 1993, Fred Taylor 1997, Terry Jackson 1998).

• Baugh also posted an 82.8 PFF grade (second in SEC, 13th in FBS), ranking fourth among UF offensive players.

• Backed by 60 yards after contact, Baugh’s 83.1 rushing grade sits 10th in the FBS and third in the SEC.

• In the last eight games dating back to last season, Baugh has scored nine total touchdowns while rushing 111 times for 624 yards (5.6 YPC, 78.0 YPG), featuring 377 yards after contact (60.4%).

• In his career, 487 of Baugh’s 777 rushing yards have come after contact (61.6%).

• Florida has rushed for over 200 yards in three-straight games while averaging 219.7 rushing yards per game.

• Florida has rushed for over 100 yards in 11-straight tilts while averaging 176.3 rushing yards per game.

• Baugh tied for the team high with seven rushing touchdowns in 2024 alongside RB Ja’Kobi Jackson.

• Jackson saw the second-most carries (seven) among the five UF running backs to garner a touch in Week 1.

• Meanwhile, redshirt freshman RB KD Daniels recorded his first-career reception in the third quarter and true freshman RB Duke Clark logged his first-career carry as well as his first-career catch.

• Florida has 70.9% of net rushing yardage back from 2024, headlined by Baugh (32.1%) and Jackson (24.3%).

• Baugh is the only active SEC running back who had at least 130 rush attempts, seven rushing touchdowns and at least one receiving score while averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry last season.

• Baugh delivered a five-touchdown game came in his first-career start vs. Kentucky in 2024 and tied the school record for the most in a game (Trey Burton vs. UK in 2010, Tim Tebow vs. South Carolina in 2007).

 

A REVAMPED RECEIVERS' ROOM . . .

• With one of the nation’s top receiving duos having departed for the NFL in WR Elijah Badger and WR Chimere Dike, Florida is replacing each of its top pass catchers from last season.

• Florida lost 63.1% of its receiving offense from 2024, 54.2% of which came from Badger and Dike.

• Last year, Badger (806 yards, 20.7 YPC) and Dike (783 yards, 18.6 YPC) represented the only FBS receiving duo to have both players post over 700 receiving yards and over 18.0 yards per catch.

• With Badger and Dike now gone, Florida looks to returners WR Eugene Wilson III, WR Aidan Mizell, WR Tank Hawkins, WR TJ Abrams and WR Kahleil Jackson, among others.

• Despite lost production, Florida’s 2025 receiving room ranks No. 18 in the FBS and No. 8 in the SEC, per Phil Steele.

• Fifteen different Gators recorded a reception in Week 1 as the revamped corps started with a bang, highlighted by true freshman WR Vernell Brown III pacing Florida with 79 yards on three catches in his debut.

• Brown III’s 79 yards marked the most ever by a UF true freshman receiver in his first-career start.

• Brown III became the third true freshman wide receiver to start on opening day for the Gators, joining Antonio Callaway (2015) and Percy Harvin (2006).

• Brown III’s father’s first-career start came in 2002 as a redshirt freshman on the road at Vanderbilt while his grandfather’s first-career start was in 1982 as true freshman vs. West Texas State (West Texas A&M).

• Brown III is the 17th true freshman at any position to start a season opener for the Gators dating back to 1972 (Mike Williams, OT). The last UF true freshman to start opening day on offense was RT Jawaan Taylor in 2016.

• Among FBS true freshmen, Brown II ranks third in yards per catch (26.3) and fourth in yards (79).

• Despite leading all 15 UF receivers with five catches in Week 1, Wilson III finished last in yards (-4).

• Wilson III has recorded a catch in 15-straight games he has played in dating back to his collegiate debut.

• Wilson III is the most-experienced returning receiver on the roster, entering 2025 with 13 career games including 11 starts with 80 receptions, 804 yards, seven touchdowns, 57.4 YPG and 10.1 YPC.

• Although he was limited to four games in 2024, Wilson III racked up 19 catches, 266 yards and one touchdown after dazzling across 10 games as a 2023 Freshman All-American: 61 receptions, 538 yards, six touchdowns.

• Abrams set career highs with two receptions and 53 yards in Week 1.

• True freshman five-star recruits WR Dallas Wilson and Brown III will be heavily involved in the receiving corps, as well as rookie four stars WR Muizz Tounkara and WR Naeshaun Montgomery.

• Tounkara and Montgomery also made their career debuts alongside Brown III in Week 1.

• Tounkara recorded his first-career reception and Montgomery logged his first carry and reception.

• Redshirt senior transfer WR J. Michael Sturdivant arrives from UCLA, having played in 40 career games including 30 starts over four seasons at Cal (2021-22) and UCLA (2023-24).

• Sturdivant recorded his first touchdown reception as a Gator in Week 1 vs. LIU in the second quarter.

 

2025 DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK . . .

• Florida returns 62% of defensive production and five starters from last year’s squad, which finished on a tear across the Gators’ season-ending win streak.

• Florida returns 76.9% of its sack production (30 of 39 sacks) and each of its top five leaders in sacks, in addition to seven of its top 10 in sacks from last year.

• Florida also brings back 72.1% of its TFL production (62 of 86 TFLs) and each of its top four leaders in TFLs, as well as six of its top 10 in TFLs from the 2024 season.

• In the last four games of 2024, UF totaled 38 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 18 pass breakups, 17 quarterback hurries, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and five interceptions while allowing 13.0 points per game.

• Florida’s 18 sacks and 34 tackles for loss were the most in the FBS over the last three weeks of the regular season.

• In those four games, UF opponents reached the redzone nine times and only scored 22 total points.

• UF forced -161 rushing yards in the final four games played as opponents only averaged 2.9 yards per carry.

• When opponents rushed the ball in the last four weeks of 2025, there was a 25% chance it would go for negative yards and a 31% mark for zero or negative yards.

• In eight of the last nine games of 2024, the Gators did not allow an opponent to rush over 150 yards, including under 100 yards vs. FSU (99) and Tulane (69). The Seminoles averaged just 2.25 YPC.

• Florida was one of eight teams to only allow one rushing TD in the last three weeks (3 GP) of the regular season.

• As a result of the four-game finish, the Gators ended the season ranking ninth nationally in red zone defense (0.725), 11th in sacks (3.00 per game), 27th in passes intercepted (14), 33rd in tackles for loss (6.6 per game), 35th in turnover margin (0.46), 43rd in scoring defense (23.1) and 49th in team passing efficiency defense (124.2).

• Returning starters include DE Caleb Banks, DL Tyreak Sapp, LB Grayson Howard, SS Bryce Thornton and FS Jordan Castell, who combined for 57 games played and 48 starts during the 2024 campaign.

• Additionally, CB Devin Moore (six), CB Dijon Johnson (five), STAR Sharif Denson (five), STAR Aaron Gates (five), LB Jaden Robinson (four), DE Kamran James (four) and JACK George Gumbs Jr. (three) all made multiple starts on Florida’s defense last year for an additional, combined 32 starts.

 

BANKS OF AMERICA . . .

• Preseason Second Team All-SEC DL Caleb Banks headlines the 2025 Florida defense after electing to return for his senior season and forgoing the 2025 NFL Draft. He projects as a first-to-second rounder in the 2026 NFL Draft.

• Banks made the Preseason Watch Lists for both the Bronco Nagurski Award and Chuck Bednarik Award.

• In his second year at Florida in 2024, Banks played in 12 games (10 starts) and racked up 21 tackles (10 solo) including 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. he also added two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

• Banks went off in the upset wins over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss in Weeks 12-13 last year, totaling seven tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss (-26 yards), 3.5 sacks (-22 yards), four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.

• Prior to those two games, he had career stats of 5.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and five QB hurries.

• Despite the slow start, Banks still finished as the No. 58 pass rusher among FBS interior defenders.

• Banks joined the Gators in 2023 after only playing 47 career snaps in two seasons at Louisville, and has now played in 24 games including 21 starts over the past two campaigns in Orange & Blue (2023-24).

• Against No. 9 Ole Miss, Banks finished with a career-high 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.

• According to PFF, he led all FBS defensive tackles in quarterback pressures from Weeks 12-13 of 2024 with eight vs. LSU and seven against Ole Miss for a total of 15.

 

TAP INTO THE SAPP . . .

• Teaming up with Sapp to form Phil Steele’s No. 10 defensive line in the FBS (No. 4 in SEC) is EDGE Tyreak Sapp, who entered the 2025 season as a projected first-round pick and on the Bronco Nagurski Award Watch List.

• Leading Florida with 13.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks, Sapp played in all 13 games (nine starts) in 2024.

• As a redshirt junior last season, Sapp graded as PFF’s No. 9 edge rusher in the FBS (90.4) while posting the No. 4 rush defense grade (88.7) among FBS edge rushers.

• Sapp’s 90.4 grade was the highest by a Florida defender since Jonathan Greenard in 2019 and ranked third highest among SEC edge defenders in 2024.

• Florida’s 2024 season-high in sacks (eight) and tackles-for-loss (14) came in the Week 14 victory at FSU, which represented the Gators’ most in the last five seasons.
» Sapp led the effort with his third-consecutive game of 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack. He closed out the last four games with 19 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 12 stops, two QB hurries and one forced fumble.

 

JUST TAKING THE EDGE OFF . . .

• In addition to stars DL Caleb Banks and EDGE Tyreak Sapp, Florida’s No. 10 defensive line features returning edge rushers in JACK George Gumbs Jr., DE Kamran James, EDGE LJ McCray.

• With both Sapp and Gumbs Jr. back in the fold, Florida returns each of its top-two leaders in sacks from 2024, as well as the entirety of the top four in Sapp (7.0), Gumbs Jr. (5.0), Banks (4.5) and LB Jaden Robinson (3.5).

• Gumbs Jr. finished second on the team in tackles for loss (8.0) and sacks (5.0) in 2024 in just his second full season on defense after three seasons at Northern Illinois: one at WR, one at TE and one at DE.
» In Week 1 vs. LIU, Gumbs Jr. collected 1.5 tackles-for-loss and 0.5 sack and was UF’s highest-graded player per PFF with a 91.9 grade, ranking 11th in the FBS and third in the SEC among EDGE defenders.

• As a sophomore in 2024, James tied for the team lead with six QB hurries while tying for fifth on the Gators with 4.0 sacks. James totaled 28 tackles (20 solo), 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble.
» In the 2025 season opener, James and Gumbs Jr. teamed up for the first sack of the season while James tied for the team high in tackles (five), with three of them holding LIU to a rush of less than two yards.

• Playing just 181 defensive snaps as a true freshman, McCray tied for second on the Gators with five QB hurries in addition to 13.0 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks.

• Notable newcomers to Florida’s edge rushing unit include UMass transfer EDGE Kofi Asare and true freshman EDGE Jayden Woods out of Mill Valley HS in Shawnee, Kan.

• Playing in 12 games with four starts at UMass in 2024, Asare ranked second on the Minutemen in tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (3.0) while logging 30 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

• Asare made his UF debut in the 2025 season opener and had a tackle-for-loss for his first Gator tackle.

• In his collegiate debut, Woods posted the best pass rush grade (90.2) on the UF defense, ranking second in the FBS among true freshmen EDGE defenders. He finished with one solo tackle and an 83.8 overall PFF grade.

 

THE NATION'S MOST UNDER-RATED LB ROOM . . .

• Although Florida’s linebacker room was its lowest-ranked preseason unit per Phil Steele at No. 25, the position group welcomes back LB Grayson Howard, LB Jaden Robinson, LB Myles Graham and LB Aaron Chiles.

• In the season opener, the LB unit combined for 13 tackles, 11 stops, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble.

• Robinson played in all 13 games last season while starting each of the final four contests and started the 2025 season opener for his fifth-straight game and made four solo tackles, 2.0 TFLs and forced one fumble.

• Robinson’s four tackles last week featured one forced fumble, two solo TFLs and one stop (0-yard rush).

• Over last five games, Robinson has 20 tackles, 4.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. Robinson recorded 52 tackles (28 solo) and 3.5 sacks in 2024, which ranked fourth on the Gators.

• As a true freshman and Gators legacy player, Graham earned his first-career start in the 2025 opener and led the team in tackles (five) with a tackle-for-loss, as all five of his tackles were stops.

• Graham emerged in the last six games of the 2024 season, posting 23 tackles, 1.0 sack, 2.5 TFLs, one interception, one forced fumble and one QB hurry. Prior to that, Graham owned seven tackles (one solo) and zero TFLs across the first seven games of 2024.
» He made his first-career sack vs. No. 2 Georgia, which was a 10-yard loss on third and two in the fourth quarter. Graham then forced his first-career fumble at No. 5 Texas that led to a Gators touchdown drive.
» Against No. 21 LSU, he played a season-high 31 snaps and had a season-best seven tackles with two stops while grading as the Gators best defensive player and tackler, according to PFF.
» He had two tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss and one interception in the Gasparilla Bowl victory. • Graham played the second-most snaps (183) among SEC freshman LBs in 2024 while Chiles ranked third (130).

• Graham also led all SEC freshman linebackers with 10 stops last season.

• True freshmen LB Ty Jackson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Seminole Ridge) and LB Myles Johnson (Brewton, Ala. / T.R. Miller) made their collegiate debuts in Week 1. Johnson had four tackles with three stops in 13 snaps played.

 

SO . . . WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSIVE BACKS?

• Florida’s 2025 defensive backs unit ranks No. 10 in the FBS and No. 5 in the SEC, per Phil Steele.

• The Gators’ secondary brings back a pair of starting safeties in SS Bryce Thornton and FS Jordan Castell, who combined for 23 games played and 20 starts during the 2024 campaign.

• In all, Florida had 14 interceptions and 49 pass breakups in 2024. Ten of those interceptions came from players returning for the 2025 season (71.4%) while 28 pass breakups were recorded by returners (57.1%).

• Castell has played every game across the last three seasons (2023-25) while making 25-straight starts in Orange & Blue, which is the longest-such streak of any current Gator on the roster.

• For the second straight season in 2024, Castell led the team in snaps played (831) after playing a team-best 751 snaps in 2023. He continued the trend into the 2025 opener and has now played over 1,500 career snaps.

• Castell played every snap during Weeks 12-13 in the upset wins over No. 21 LSU (93) & No. 9 Ole Miss (79).

• Also in 2024, Castell paced Florida with nine pass breakups - three more than the next-closest Gator. • Castell compiled 115 tackles across the 2023-24 seasons, having led UF with 60 (30 solo) in 2023.

• Meanwhile, Thornton has played in 23 games including 12 starts across the last three seasons (2023-25), starting each of the last-six games consecutively dating back to last year.

• Thornton had Florida’s first score of the 2025 season with a 37-yard fumble recovery on the first drive of Week 1 and later added a second fumble recovery, setting up a Gators touchdown in the second quarter.

• In his last four games, Thornton has four takeaways - two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

• Thornton led Florida with three interceptions in 2024 on top of 41 tackles (22 solo), 1.5 TFLs, one forced fumble and three pass breakups - and played all but one snap of UF’s final two SEC games (vs. LSU & Ole Miss).

• Additionally, CB Devin Moore (six), CB Dijon Johnson (five), STAR Sharif Denson (five), STAR Aaron Gates (five) all started five or more games for the 2024 Gators defense, bringing more experience back to the secondary.

• Although he missed six games due to injury, Moore totaled 17 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception, playing his best football in his last two games of 2024 against Kentucky (81.6 PFF grade) and Georgia (76.1).

• Fellow corner Johnson played all but four snaps of UF’s final two SEC games (vs. LSU & Ole Miss), tallying nine tackles (eight solo), 1.0 TFL, one QB hurry and one PBU.

• Like Moore and Johnson, Denson also finished the 2024 campaign strong with his best weekly PFF grade coming in the Gasparilla Bowl victory over Tulane.

• In 2024, Denson’s 87.4 pass rush grade ranked 13th among FBS safeties, as he racked up 37 tackles (22 solo), 5.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in addition to two pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble.

• Gates played in nine games with five starts one year ago, ranking fifth on the team with 4.0 TFLs in addition to 27 tackles, one interception, three PBUs, two fumble recoveries and one QB hurry.

• Much of Gates’ production came across four games from Weeks 9-12, when he racked up 20 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, one interception and one fumble recovery as UF went 2-2 with SEC wins over Kentucky and LSU.