PFF Names Two Gators Defenders to Preseason All-SEC First Team

Gators defenders Jason Marshall Jr. and Princely Umanmielen earn first-team All-SEC Defense nod from PFF.

Alex Shepherd

The Florida Gators' defense has drastically changed in just one offseason.

Witnessing the departure of eight starters, followed by coordinator Patrick Toney's exit to the pros, the Gators' defense will be a youth movement from top to bottom in 2023 as it looks to rebound after three consecutive substandard seasons.

However, amid the turnover, two pillars of the defense under Austin Armstrong's newly minted leadership remain in the form of veteran cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen. On Monday, Pro Football Focus released its preseason All-SEC first, second and third teams, including the duo of Florida defenders on the first-team defense ahead of the 2023 campaign.

The list also includes offensive tackle Austin Barber (third team) and running back Trevor Etienne (third team) among the 78 players selected to produce significantly for their respective squads in the upcoming year.

As the No. 29 overall player (No. 2 cornerback) in the class of 2021, the Miami Palmetto product has lived up to his billing as a multi-year Power Five starter since he arrived in Gainesville.

Compiling 29 tackles, a tackle for loss, nine pass breakups and one interception, Marshall expectedly elevated his play from a promising freshman year to solidify himself as the top cornerback option for UF throughout his career in orange and blue. His excellence, particularly in the second half of the season as a man-to-man cover corner, catapulted him into earning a first-round draft grade, according to ESPN.

The national praise was validated by renowned secondary assistant Corey Raymond's evaluation of him and his habits heading into their second year together.

"I'll say Jason Marshall," Raymond shared with the media in March when asked who grew the most from year one to year two under his leadership. "He got better. As the season started progressing, you saw the climb in his play, which, you know, he was a highly recruited guy, everybody recruited him. You see that coming out right now."

Now, according to Raymond — who played a role in the production of several defensive back talents like Patrick Peterson, Tre'Davious White, Derek Stingley, Grant Delpit and others during his time at LSU — the Gators' undenied top coverage man is preparing to be a professional.

"Honestly, just being a pro, doing everything the right way," he said when asked how Marshall has changed. "Working extra, working hard at practice, doing all those little things. 

"It's like he's ready to be a professional and he's working like that to be a professional."

Now, entering year three with 26 appearances and 19 starts under his belt, the Miami, Fla., native has an opportunity to elevate his draft stock and Florida's defensive fortitude from his boundary corner spot in the 2023 season.

Umanmielen, on the other hand, flies largely under the radar as a prospect compared to Marshall but has begun to garner buzz surrounding his potential elevation up NFL franchise's boards. 

It depends on his productivity and consistency during the 2023 season.

Undergoing a position change from strongside defensive end to JACK during the offseason, Umanmielen will operate more as a standup rusher than before, allowing him to pin his ear back as a pass rusher. 

He's proven efficient in creating pressure in the past — accounting for 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles — but the altered role, Armstrong's tendency as an aggressive play caller and the uncanny bend he displays when working against tackles off the edge at 6-foot-5, 254 pounds, have him poised for a breakout year.

Edge rushers coach Mike Peterson spoke glowingly of Umanmielen during the spring. The reason for praise nearly echoed Raymond's sentiment regarding Marshall: Both are building professional habits.

"I've been really, really, really impressed with him," Peterson said in March. "We all know he can do everything on the field. We've been talking about the things away from football — taking care of your body. How to watch tape. What are you watching? Your eyes. Man, it's been great.

"Every day, I can pull a clip where he's playing with effort. You watch practice today, he's running all the way down the field. He's the first one on the field, first one at practice. Just those little things. I talk to him about becoming a pro. If you were a pro player, what would you do? You're not the last one in the building. You're the first one in, the last one to leave. And he's accepted it, and you've seen some of the results of that in practice."

In order for the Gators to realize the defensive improvement expected in 2023, Marshall and Umanmielen will have to live up to the preseason hype and perform in a way that warrants postseason All-SEC selection.

Barber and Etienne will be equally valuable in the offense's sustainability.

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