UF position preview: Safety – Yahoo Sports

A look at the Gators leading up to fall camp:

SAFETY

What to expect

The back end of Florida’s defense spent much of 2023 on its heels. The Gators’ season-ending five-game losing streak included a 52-35 defeat to LSU featuring 372 passing yards by eventual Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and 130-yard receiving nights by Malik Nabers and Bryan Thomas Jr. But everyone had their way with a UF secondary yielding an SEC-worst 8.3 yards per attempt and 20 pass plays of 40 yards or longer.

Coach Billy Napier responded by firing coach Corey Raymond, hiring Will Harris and attacking the transfer portal to secure veteran safeties — Oregon’s Trikweze Bridges, Tulane’s DJ Douglas and Washington’s Asa Turner. The trio will join sophomores Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton, who combined for 94 tackles, including a team-best 60 for Castell — a former standout at West Orange.

The 6-foot-3, 198-pound Bridges appeared in 42 games at safety and cornerback, including 17 starts, for the Ducks; the 5-foot-11 3/4, 212-pound Douglas 54 tackles, 3 interceptions among 5 passes defended in 2023; and 6-foot-3, 212-pound Turner totaled 146 career tackles, 7 for loss, and 6 interceptions during 43 games.

Turner’s had a single-season high 52 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3 pass breakups in 2022, but he broke bones and missed eight of the Huskies’ 15 games in 2023 en route to a national title runner-up finish.

Florida also welcomed 2024 signees Gregory Smith III and Josiah Davis to the mix. Each will likely have a role on special teams.

On the roster

Jordan Castell, So.

Cahron Rackley, R-Jr.

Bryce Thornton, So.

Ethan Wilson, R-Sr.

Departures

Dakota Mitchell, (medical retirement)

Miguel Mitchell, Jr. (transfer to Arkansas)

Kamari Wilson R-So. (transfer to Miami)

Arrivals

Trikweze Bridges (transfer from Oregon)

Josiah Davis (signee)

DJ Douglas (transfer from…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/uf-position-preview-safety-190000678.html

Author : Orlando Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-07-26 19:00:00

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