Florida cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. is the only returning starter in the Gators secondary, not necessarily a bad thing for a defense ranked near the bottom of the SEC.
Marshall, a 5-star prospect out of Miami, will need to help to change course and rekindle UF’s reputation for producing some of the nation’s top defensive backfields.
Few competitions during fall camp will be as fierce as who lines up opposite from him.
“It’ll be pretty interesting to see,” said veteran defensive back Jaydon Hill, who will man the STAR position, aka nickle back. “It’ll be a good one.”
Returners Devin Moore and Jalen Kimber are the leading candidates, but top 2023 signees Ja’Keem Jackson of Kissimmee Osceloa and Tampa’s Dijon Johnson also could factor in.
The Gators could rotate up to four cornerbacks, but a starting role tops every player’s wish list.
Moore, a 6-foot-2 3/4, 195-pound sophomore from Naples, was in line for one when he injured his shoulder Oct. 8 against Missouri, requiring Nov. 2 surgery.
“Last year was a bit of a rollercoaster,” he said Thursday. “I feel like I came out of that experience with so much more of the mental game down. I looked at it as more of a blessing and a lesson.”
Injuries also have held back Kimber, who arrived in 2022 as a Georgia transfer recovering shoulder surgery. He broke his hand a week before last season’s opener.
Now healthy, Kimber added 8 pounds of muscle since April and has flashed the form that made him one of the top cornerback recruits in 2020.
“He had a terrific offseason,” coach Billy Napier said. “He’s a player that sees an opportunity.”
Jackson, a top-50 recruit in 2023, and Johnson, who flipped his commitment from Ohio State, enrolled in January and have since made an impression.
“Having that competition in the room just boosts us tremendously,” Moore said. “Everybody is working hard day in and day out.”
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Marshall is the veteran of the group, having started 20 games the past two seasons. He allowed just 36.8% of passes targeting him to be completed as a freshman and led UF with 7 pass break-ups in 2022.
Marshall addressed his weakness during the offseason to elevate his play.
“[I’m] reading overall coverages … route concepts, things that I struggled with last year,” he said. “Just knocking those off the checklist. Everything else will play out from there.”
The approach has changed on the back end of the Gators’ defense.
Napier promoted Corey Raymond from cornerbacks to secondary coach after the departure of embattled defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, who coached safeties.
Austin Armstrong, Toney’s replacement, will not scrap the scheme but does coach more press coverage at the line of scrimmage.
“He likes to play deny-the-ball defense,” Moore said.
The Gators struggled to stop much in 2022.
Florida allowed opponents to convert 49.71% on third down, ranking 129th nationally, and yielded more plays of 10 yards or longer than all but Arkansas among 14 SEC teams.
Marshall and fellow cornerbacks aim to put last season behind them.
“Coming into this year, we’re looking to turn heads,” he said. “And that’s that. Period. We’re looking to turn heads.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
