Multiple Gators Earn PFF Team of the Week Honors

Four Gators were named to the Pro Football Focus Week 3 SEC Team of the Week despite a loss to Texas A&M.

Florida Gators defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. (3) tackles Samford Bulldogs wide receiver Preston Bird (84) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Florida Gators won 45-7 over the Bulldogs. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite an ugly team performance against Texas A&M on the weekend, multiple Florida Gators players were named to the Pro Football Focus Week 3 SEC Team of the Week, which was released Monday.

In total, four Gators were listed. A trio of offensive lineman in Jake Slaughter, Kamryn Waites, Brendan Crenshaw-Dickson round out Florida's offensive players listed and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. stands alone as a representative of the Gators' defense after their individual performances last Saturday against Texas A&M.

Week 3 SEC Team of the Week⭐️ pic.twitter.com/PihIagNypv

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 16, 2024

This is certainly a bounce-back performance from Waites who had one of the roughest Week One performances in the country against Miami, where he graded out at 0.0 in pass blocking. In addition to Waites, Slaughter has continued to be one of the best centers in the SEC after another positive performance in the middle of this endlessly rotating offensive line. 

PFF's decision to name multiple Gators on the SEC team of the week might come as a little bit of a surprise given the instant reaction to the Gators' 33-20 loss to the Aggies in the college football world. Many believe that it was a rather poor performance from the Gators in their SEC opener, and it is hard to argue with that thought. At the end of the first half, they were down 20-0. 

However, it seems the individual performances of these four outshined the largely disappointing one from the team as a unit.

Highest Graded SEC Cornerback

In addition to being named to the team of the week, Jason Marshall Jr. also was graded as PFF’s best cornerback in Week 3 in the SEC. Against Texas A&M, Marshall Jr. finished with an overall grade of 80.7. 

Highest Graded SEC Cornerback from Week 3:

🐊 Jason Marshall Jr, Florida: 80.7@GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/pkIuF4M6XA

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 17, 2024

The Gators’ defense wasn't hit with an air raid offense during this game, but Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed still finished 11 of 17 with 178 yards and two touchdowns against the Gators defense. However, it seems Marshall did his job on Saturday and held most of the Aggies’ receivers in check when he was opposite them. 

Marshall will be hoping to continue to put up performances like this as he is in his final year of eligibility with the Gators and will want to show NFL teams that he has what it takes to compete at the next level.