Helm Welcoming Florida Gators Starting CB Gig: 'It Just All Came Together'

Redshirt freshman Avery Helm is prepared to fill in for Jaydon Hill in the Florida Gators secondary this season.

Photo: Avery Helm; Credit: University of Florida athletic association

Depth charts mean very little to Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen. That being said, UF's first unofficial depth chart of the 2021 season was released on Monday and drew plenty of eyes with some new first-teamers being named across the lineup. 

One of which was at cornerback opposite of Preseason All-American Kaiir Elam. That job, as of now, has been rewarded to redshirt freshman Avery Helm.

"I thought he’s done a really good job of putting himself in a position [to start]," Mullen spoke of Helm on Monday. "Whether he starts or not, I don’t know. You gotta come out on Saturday [and see who] plays the first play of the game."

Regardless if he officially starts or not, Helm feels as though he's earned an opportunity to show the Gators coaching staff what he's got after taking the field for 17 snaps defensively as a true freshman. Across those plays, Helm posted one tackle.

"I feel like I just applied what I did in the offseason by working hard and just the practice and every day just working," Helm said. "It just all came together."

Helm will take over the role that junior Jaydon Hill was expected to fill this season, replacing former starter and now Arizona Cardinals defensive back Marco Wilson. However, Hill went down at the beginning of fall camp with a torn ACL, opening up the cornerback No. 2 competition to Helm, freshman Jason Marshall Jr., and transfers Jadarrius Perkins and Elijah Blades, among others.

From a physical skill-set perspective, Mullen and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham liked what they saw. In spring camp, Helm posted a 4.3-second 40-yard dash (whether it was 4.3 seconds flat or in that range has not been specified, but regardless, it's blazing fast for a 19 year old) and jumped 40 inches vertically during agility workouts.

"Avery’s a guy that has really good speed that’s really progressed every time he’s had an opportunity to play," Grantham explained.

What led Grantham and Mullen to list Helm with the first team extends beyond physical talent, though. The defensive back can continue to develop, but both coaches have seen Helm grow on the mental side of the game and within the scheme - especially after suffering a major knee injury in high school.

"When he got here, he was coming off a pretty significant injury, so that set him back with his rehab," Mullen said. "But to grow and mature through that and then put himself in a position – obviously he has tremendous physical talents. But it’s the maturity of learning how to play within the scheme, play within what we’re doing and do what’s expected of him beyond just his physical talents. And he’s worked hard to go learn that."

"You like the way he takes scrimmage one and the things he did there and improves on scrimmage two," Grantham elaborated. "A really conscientious guy that works hard every day to be the kind of guy you want."

Having earned the trust of Florida's coaching staff, Helm is expected to field a major role against Florida Atlantic in week one and beyond. Hill was impressive himself in a limited role over the past two seasons, and Helm is aiming to man the veteran cornerback's part in UF's defense seamlessly.

"It just was a general message, just, 'get ready,' you know?" Helm said, sharing the message from coaches after Hill went down. "I have to step up and get myself together and so, I'm ready for it."

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