Three Questions About the Florida Gators Safeties Entering 2022

Three questions about the Florida Gators' safety and STAR positions that will need to be answered before the 2022 season kicks off.

Photo: Rashad Torrence II; Credit: University of Florida athletic association 

With spring football squarely in the rearview mirror, and not much going on in the realm of college sports, AllGators has decided to take a stab at going over various position groups for the Florida Gators and the three pressing questions for each room.

Wrapping up on the defensive side of the ball, the next position group we'll cover is Florida's safeties as a whole. This includes team's STAR position, the Gators' nickel cornerback role.

Florida hired former Louisianna defensive coordinator Patrick Toney to take over as the team's safeties and co-defensive coordinator this year under head coach Billy Napier in Gainesville. Toney and cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond collaborate on coaching the STAR position.

AllGators' three questions by position series

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Wide receiver
• Tight end
• Offensive line
• JACK edge rusher
• Defensive line
• Inside linebackers
• Cornerbacks

Is Rashad Torrence II set to take the next step?

The Gators are entering this season with plenty of anticipation for players to take the "next step" on both sides of the football.

Similar to cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, junior safety Rashad Torrence II might be the next defender worth talking about taking the next step, becoming a key member of the Florida defense.

That speculation has been born out of the play Torrence has put on the field over his first two years with Florida, coming in as a member of the 2020 recruiting class and being thrust into the fire not long into his first year in Gainesville.

During his freshman season, Torrence played in nine games, including three starts. He would register just 25 tackles but debuted in Week 1 against Ole Miss after an ejection and injuries led to his immediate playing time. He contibuted immediately, posting eight tackles in the game.

During his second season, Torrence would become a full-time starter within the Gators' secondary, starting all 13 games and finishing third on the team with 87 tackles (51 solos), 3.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. He recorded two interceptions and a forced fumble recovery during the team's loss against Georgia.

This year, led by a new coaching staff headed up Napier, Torrence is set to exceed previous expectations. With Toney, who recently helped send Louisianna safety Percy Butler to the NFL, now in charge, Torrence's play should obly move forward.

At 6-foot, 197 pounds, there's plenty of room for him to grow and it appears he's ready to make that next step as a key member of the Florida defense this year.

Who is the starting STAR?

Florida is heading into a year with plenty of question marks on defense, including who exactly will start in the secondary. Though not the safety position, the STAR, more commonly known as the nickel corner, plays a variety of roles, some of which include responsibilities akin to the safety role.

Still, Florida doesn't have an unquestioned starter at the position heading into 2022.

Last season, the team flirted with the idea of Tre'Vez Johnson filling in as the team's starter, while including transfer DB Jadarrius Perkins into the rotating lineup. Still, the team couldn't get much production out of the position due to injuries and inconsistent play.

Heading into 2022, Florida still has some question marks at the position, especially with rising redshirt sophomore DB Kamar Wilcoxson coming off of an injury and now entering the fold as a potential player to take over the position as well.

Florida also didn't see Perkins for much of spring as he dealt with an injury, forcing him to miss the action including the team's spring game in April.

All of that has led to the position being even more muddied, especially with redshirt freshman DB Jordan Young now emerging as a potential contributor at the spot.

While Johnson, a true junior, certainly has the most experience of the players mentioned - playing in 10 games, starting seven at STAR last year - there's plenty of room for the position to grow if the team wants to get the most out of the position moving forward.

While he doesn't have much playing experience due to redshirting his freshman season and dealing with a season-long injury last year, Wilcoxson might be one of the more intriguing players to look toward when projecting who might start this season.

Though brief, Torrence spoke highly of Wilcoxson during his media availability just before the spring game.

“Kamar came back from that injury last year and he’s kind of had something to prove,"
Torrence said of the young DB. "But I feel like he’s definitely doing a great job this spring in trying to prove himself and show that he’s worthy of being a Gator.”

Torrence said earlier that he felt both Wilcoxson and safety Donovan McMillon have an opportunity to contribute greatly on defense. Time will tell whether that comes to fruition or not.

Still, given Young's emergence at the position near the end of spring, posting some of the best numbers on defense during the scrimmage, it feels as though he will likely play a major role in some capacity. Don't be surprised to see him utilized within the role early and often this year.

How big of a role will Kamari Wilson have?

We have written at length about the potential for Kamari Wilson, a true freshman this year, to come in and produce right away in the Florida defense. But, exactly how big a role he plays likely will be dictated by those around him, including a second-year safety in McMillion.

Wilson, hailing from IMG Academy - the first player the Gators signed from the high school that actually played there - comes in with plenty of intrigue and skill. Wilson was one of the few early enrolee players from this year's class and already has the advantage of playing snaps with the rest of the roster during spring and during the scrimmage.

At times, Wilson was seen with the first-team defense during the event, though that could have been due to a variety of factors, including injuries at the position.

With a need for more production within the secondary and a lack of experienced depth ahead of him, Wilson could see himself inserted into the starting lineup, or heavily within the rotation sooner rather than later.

Currently, Florida is set to start Torrence and fifth-year senior Trey Dean III at the position. There's plenty of experience within the expected starting lineup, but there are questions directly behind them, and the potential the duo has at producing at a high level heading into this year.

Behind Dean and Torrence is junior safety Mordecai McDaniel, who has been flashy but inconsistent when he's taken the field defensively over the last two years. After that, Florida doesn't have much in the way of experience, leaving an open door for a player like Wilson to get some playing time.

One obstacle that could make it take a bit of time before Wilson is on the field for an extended period, aside from injuries, is McMillion, who has the mold of a potential stud player at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. The true sophomore appears ready to take the next step as a player that can come in and contribute right away after posting an interception in the spring game.

It's likely that we see a player like McMillion garner more repetitions early, but don't be surprised to see Wilson on the field, given his ability and willingness to learn.

“He’s coming along great," Torrence said of Wilson during spring. "I mean, he’s very explosive, very strong, interacts in every film meeting." 

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