Spring Sleeper: Florida CB Chester Kimbrough Is Bound For A Big Sophomore Season

The rising sophomore posted better numbers in coverage than any qualifying Florida cornerback in 2019.

With an ankle injury hampering Florida Gators star cornerback C.J. Henderson early in the 2019 season, three true freshmen cornerbacks were thrust into action to pick up the slack left from the loss of the future first round pick. 

Among those freshmen standouts was none other than Chester Kimbrough, a three-star prospect from Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Prior to beginning his college career in Gainesville, many Florida fans were impressed with Kimbrough's footwork and form that was shown throughout his high school film. Those skills transferred right over to the college game and allowed Kimbrough to make some outstanding plays throughout his freshmen season at Florida. 

Once he got on campus, strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage got to work with Kimbrough to beef up on his smaller frame, as the 5-11 DB only weighed 172 pounds according to the UF roster. Despite concerns in the pre-season about his size, it did not limit Kimbrough to get in getting reps. 

Instead, Kimbrough saw time at both field cornerback and at nickel, 120 snaps to be exact. That count was enough for second among the three freshmen corners, as Jaydon Hill only played 103 defensive snaps, while Kaiir Elam racked up 277 snaps in 2019. 

In coverage, Kimbrough was targeted 12 times, giving up five catches for 65 yards with one touchdown allowed, per Pro Football Focus. Kimbrough also had two pass breakups among these targets but did not record an interception in his freshman season. 

For a freshman, these are remarkable stats, especially considering most of his receptions were given up at the beginning of the season.

To note, the one touchdown that Kimbrough gave up was the last touchdown that Virginia scored in the Orange Bowl, in garbage time. PFF counts Kimbrough as the one responsible but as a collective, this was a breakdown from the whole Florida secondary, and just quality play design from Virginia offensive coordinator Robert Anae. 

As Virginia continued to target the freshman, Kimbrough stepped up by continuing to force incompletions and make stops. Outside of the touchdown, Kimbrough only allowed one reception for 12 yards, across four targets in coverage. 

Although he had 11 fewer targets, Kimbrough had a lower completion percentage allowed (41.7%) compared to Elam (43.5%) throughout the 2019 season - and Elam was named to the freshman All-SEC First Team after he took over as a starter.

With the cornerback depth being as it is, Kimbrough should make a run for the starting field cornerback spot opposite of Elam if Marco Wilson continues to play STAR nickel cornerback, a rotation that we saw in the Orange Bowl. This tends to be the safest choice for the Gators moving forward, as both Elam and Kimbrough held their own in their freshmen seasons. 

The sophomore has a laundry list of positives and very few negatives that can be corrected with time, such as adding weight onto his smaller frame. His current size could hinder Kimbrough in playing nickel, as he will have to make more plays in the box against bigger receivers and setting the edge. 

The raw talent that the Lousiana product possesses will take him far at Florida, as Kimbrough has loose hips and quick footwork to cover any receiver he is matched up against. Speed is impossible to teach and fluid hips are a necessity to become a productive corner in the SEC. 

Since Been... Young Thorpe... Kimbrough... ⁦@chaazz19⁩ pic.twitter.com/KSiVf36PJC

— NXTTRAINING (@NXTTraining7) March 6, 2020

The rising sophomore cornerback - he won't redshirt - is fast in his pursuit of the ball carrier which is vital to playing a position such as STAR, where you must make plays in the run game as well as in coverage. 

Even graduated and soon-to-be-NFL-draft-pick wide receiver Van Jefferson bought into the hype for Kimbrough. “Man, Chester,” Jefferson told the media last August after seeing him practice. “Chester’s a really good [cornerback]. He’s going to be really good. Him and Kaiir and Jaydon, they’re going to be really good.”

All in all, Kimbrough should continue to grow as a reliable cornerback in coverage for the Gators. He has all the proper skills to become another contributing member at DBU.