Looking Back On, and Forward To, Florida's CB Room
Photo: Jason Marshall Jr.; Credit: Zach Goodall
The Gators are entering a crucial offseason, the second of head coach Billy Napier's tenure, looking to turn things around after Florida posted its second consecutive 6-7 record to conclude the 2022 campaign.
After nearly two dozen scholarship players entered the transfer portal and another ten declared for the NFL Draft, the roster will undoubtedly look a lot different in Napier's second year at the helm.
Therefore, All Gators is breaking down every position on Florida's roster as the offseason gets underway, looking back on every contributor's 2022 season and looking forward to each unit's 2023.
We've examined the past and future of the offense as well as the first and second levels of the defense with quarterback, running back and wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, JACK edge rusher and linebacker breakdowns.
As the series nears its close, we now head to the third level to analyze where the cornerback position was in 2022 versus where it is going in 2023.
Looking back
It was a rollercoaster year for the cornerbacks in their first under position coach Corey Raymond, as Florida owned the 84th-rated defense in the nation for passing yards per game. However, he got the most out of his top player, continuing a notable trend he created at LSU.
Jason Marshall Jr. spearheaded the unit in his second year with the program.
Despite noticeable early struggles in a scheme that began the year operating primarily in zone coverage, he turned around his season to produce at a high level in man-to-man to live up to his lofty expectations with a quiet but dominant campaign.
The Gators' undenied CB1 was rarely challenged, earning just over three targets per game against him. However, in those opportunities, he made opposing passers even more reluctant to look his way as he accounted for eight pass breakups, one interception and no touchdowns allowed on 56.3% completion. According to PFF, he drew five penalties — one of which was declined/offset.
In the final five games, he set himself up for even higher praise heading into 2023, as he allowed nine receptions on 20 targets and broke up five balls to close his sophomore showing emphatically.
His consistency as Florida's top cornerback created room for a frequent rotation of the guy occupying the spot on the opposite sideline.
The year began with a two-deep roster that consisted of Marshall and Avery Helm as starters, with Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber and true freshman Devin Moore working in rotation.
Helm and Kimber were up and down throughout the season — each accounting for just one pass breakup — to allow room for movement on the depth chart.
Moore benefitted from that immediately in week one.
He flashed the promise that earned him the staff's praises as a prospect and during his early returns as a spring ball participant. Namely, in the season opener against Utah, Moore made a strong open-field tackle near the end of the game to keep the clock running on the Utes.
Unfortunately for Moore and Florida, an injury derailed his first year in orange and blue after appearing in just five games.
However, fourth-year redshirt sophomore Jaydon Hill's returned to the field after a torn ACL that held him out for the entirety of the 2021 season and the first four games of 2022, the same week Moore went down.
Florida's defensive back room shook up as a result.
Working into the rotation, Hill shined in his second game back after more than a yearlong absence, producing two picks and an eventual game-deciding interception return touchdown against Missouri in The Swamp. His experience and immediate production earned him a promotion.
Helm's time drastically decreased as Hill took control of the CB2 role. The Gators' rotation started to dwindle as the year rolled along, deferring to the two starters of Marshall and Hill to take on the majority of in-game responsibilities.
Jordan Young and Ethan Pouncey appeared sparingly.
Looking forward
Raymond and the Gators will look for a drastic surge in production in 2023 with a bevy of returning pieces and two uber-talented prospects making up the position corps.
The top of the depth chart won't change much to begin the season as incumbents in Marshall and Hill occupy starting spots.
But that duo isn't set in stone. While the Marshall is locked into his spot, Hill can slide downward in his fifth year with the team if he fails to outshine one of Kimber — who's shown little signs of being anything more than a depth piece — or Moore.
It's expected that the duo will be jockeying for the CB3 spot in the meantime. However, given the evident liking the staff took to Moore before he was sidelined in 2022, the Naples, Fla., native has the most considerable potential for upward growth.
If he showcases strong progression in life after shoulder surgery, Moore could find himself in a position to not just take the first-off-the-bench job in the Gators' secondary, but also vie for Hill's starting position.
Especially with a promising spring to set him up for the positional competitions come summer and fall camps.
Kimber, on the other hand, is likely tied down to a CB3 spot at best in the Gators' defensive back room. So, any movement of his would be down on the depth chart.
The newcomers Ja'Keem Jackson and Dijon Johnson have much to do with that.
Flying under the radar for much of his high school career, Jackson began to garner attention following a late junior-year move to cornerback. He excelled there to earn vast recognition in his region. His recruitment process, accordingly, exploded in the spring of 2022. A few months later, he was locked into a premier slot in UF's class as one of Raymond's favorite prospects.
Now, Jackson is slated to compete for the role Moore intended to serve a year ago. Barring injury, Jackson has the potential to bolster Florida's secondary and positively impact defensive play caller Patrick Toney's aggressiveness.
He possesses the length, speed, athleticism and playmaking ability to be one of the next stars produced under Raymond's tutelage.
Johnson was a surprise grab for Florida after he flipped his commitment from the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Gators after a brief return to uncommitted status. Displaying the length and versatility needed to make a difference in the secondary, Johnson will start at cornerback as Raymond hopes to mold him into that next piece alongside Jackson.
He exemplified that ability as he excelled for Wharton as a lockdown man-to-man coverage corner as a senior. He accounted for five pass breakups and an interception in six games. However, his first year could be developmental as he won't arrive on campus until the summer after electing not to early enroll.
Pouncey remains in place as depth.
Florida will likely look to add a player to the fold post-spring via the transfer portal, as Napier shared that Florida will do some last-minute shopping at spots of need. The potential prospect would bring experienced and depth to a unit that, at its peak, looks for four starting-caliber cornerbacks to rotate regularly.
Candidates for that endeavor will arise when the spring portal window opens from April 15-30.
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