Florida Gators DB Trey Dean To Return for Fifth Season

Despite being invited to the NFL Combine, safety Trey Dean will return to Florida for one more season.

NFL Combine invitation no matter, defensive back Trey Dean III has elected to return to the Florida Gators for his fifth season in orange and blue, he announced on Wednesday evening.

🚧⚠️WARNING CATION ⚠️ WATCH UNTIL THE END!🚧 #GODsPlan💯 pic.twitter.com/jFxGaMOf6p

— Trey Dean (@__TD3) January 6, 2022

Dean was officially invited to February's Combine, an event held in preparation for the annual NFL Draft, on Monday. However, Dean has elected to return to Florida for one more season under new head coach Billy Napier, which will allow him to boost his draft stock with his on-the-field play.

Dean made the move to safety during the 2020 season after a successful freshman year at outside cornerback in 2018 followed by a disappointing campaign at nickel corner in 2019. Dean found his footing at safety and earned rotational snaps throughout his junior year, eventually earning a starting role against Alabama in the 2020 SEC Championship which he held onto throughout the 2021 season.

In 50 career appearances with the Gators, Dean has compiled 174 tackles, four sacks, nine tackles for loss, four interceptions, 14 pass breakups and a forced fumble. He'll look to build upon those numbers in 2022 alongside Rashad Torrence II as Florida's starting safety duo for the second year in a row.

Florida added a ready-to-play 2022 safety during the early signing period in Kamari Wilson, who may have been expected to step into a defensive role as a true freshman if Dean had left for the NFL. With two returning starters on the roster at safety and young depth in Donovan McMillon and Mordecai McDaniel possessing some game experience, Wilson will not need to be rushed onto the field during his first season at UF.

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