Freshman Standing Out as Patrick Toney Builds Gators' Secondary

“Oh yeah, Devin Moore is going to be a problem soon.”

Photo: Devin Moore; Credit: Isabella Marley - University of Florida Athletic Association

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier has been brutally transparent throughout his first offseason in charge: UF is lacking quality depth across its roster. 

At least, at most positions, but perhaps not so much in the secondary. The Gators have returned the majority of their starting defensive backs from the 2021 season aside from cornerback Kaiir Elam, who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of April's NFL Draft. 

Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II are expected to reunite as UF's starting safety duo; experienced corners in Jason Marshall Jr., Avery Helm and Jaydon Hill will compete outside with former Georgia defensive back Jalen Kimber in the mix as well; incumbent starting STAR Tre'Vez Johnson could even face a fight for his spot from younger nickels.

But even with a lot of accomplished players coming back, the new coaching staff won't simply award previous contributors their starting spots right back to them. If there are young players standing out in practice, they'll earn the opportunity to contribute during the season.

By the sounds of it, true freshman Devin Moore is in a position to do just that after impressing coaches and teammates throughout the offseason.

Gators DB Devin Moore at the 2022 Adidas All-American Bowl / Zach Goodall

"Devin is the first recruit I talked to when I took this job. He has done a really good job, man," Gators' co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney told media on Tuesday. "He is extremely mature for his age. He is smart. He picks it up fast, very athletic, has great length. He has just done a tremendous job in spring football, and then continued that throughout the summer program."

Toney isn't the only one to acknowledge Moore's performance since his enrollment in January. Starting linebacker Ventrell Miller expressed a similar sentiment at SEC Media Days in July, aligning with intel AllGators has received indicating Moore could earn legitimate playing time in his first season at UF.

“Oh yeah," Miller expressed, "Devin Moore is going to be a problem soon.” 

Moore, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound defensive back from Naples (Fla.) who flipped to Florida from Notre Dame after Napier's hiring in December, was one of three signees to enroll early at UF this offseason alongside safety Kamari Wilson and defensive lineman Chris McClellan, players Toney also credited for their quick adjustment and work ethic throughout the spring.

Moore has focused on the cornerback position despite projections of playing safety at the college level, an idea Florida has kept in its back pocket, intrigued by his versatility. 

But the athleticism, length and football IQ Moore brings to the table has placed him in Cory Raymond's position group on the outside of UF's defense. And in eight months of various workouts, playbook installs and spring camp, Moore has done enough already to fight for snaps in fall practice and during the season.

"I do think Ventrell was right, I think he will play a factor in our secondary for sure," Toney said of Moore. "Been very excited working with him. He is great to work with."

Toney shared that, although UF's base defense will operate with five defensive backs including a nickel, there will be plenty of opportunities for various backend players to take the field in his scheme thanks to sub-packages. 

This will open the door for Moore, Wilson, other underclassmen or even veterans that have yet to ascend to the top of the depth chart to step in and contribute if they fit into a specific role.

"I think we have good depth and a lot of guys eager to develop their role on the team, whether they've been here for a while or they're young players," Toney said. "We're going to play a brand of defense where we utilize the secondary quite a bit. You'll see five defensive backs on the field a good amount for us, in some situations six. 

"We're going to find roles and put them in the position they're most capable of playing. You may see guys that are featured in certain packages, and you may see every-down starters. A lot of that will be seen here in the coming weeks as we jockey for playing time and really compete on the field."

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