Texas A&M Aggies vs. Florida: Gators' Defensive Players to Watch

A pair of young secondary pieces are primed to have bigger impacts for the Florida Gators next season while a fifth-year linebacker will likely hold down the fort, making the Texas A&M Aggies' visit to The Swamp even more challenging.

Sep 16, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators safety Jordan Castell (14) celebrates during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

While the Texas A&M Aggies are busy keeping track of the Florida Gators' offensive weapons during Week 3, they'll need to ensure they're finding a groove of their own.

Bringing back Conner Weigman for what they hope is a full season will certainly be beneficial for the Aggies as they begin to rebuild and prepare for a run at the expanded College Football Playoff, which makes his consistency of utmost importance throughout the season.

Performing at home is one thing, but performing on the road will be an entirely different challenge, especially when it comes a place like The Swamp, which is notorious for being hard on visitors.

Add a group of talented defenders to the mix for the Gators, and finding offensive momentum just gets more difficult. The Aggies will need to be on their game if they want to leave Gainesville with a win, especially with some of the weapons their opponent has.

These are three of them.

Florida safety Jordan Castell (14) celebrates after making a play during a football game between Tennessee and Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

Jordan Castell, Free Safety

After an impressive freshman season, Castell is primed to make a bigger impact for the Gators in the secondary. Last season, he tallied 59 tackles, three pass deflections and an interception, which wasn't team leading, but makes him a big threat for opposing offenses as he continues to learn the system and settle in. If Weigman and the Aggies aren't careful with their throwing, they could very well be watching him add another pick to his career stat line.

Devin Moore, Cornerback

After a limited role with Florida during his freshman season, Moore took a step up in Year 2 to provide a corner threat for the Gators when they needed him. He went from zero pass deflections to three and snagged an interception himself to tie Castell for the most among Florida's returning personnel. He proved the difference one season could have for someone working within the Gators' system, so as he prepares to take the field for the third straight season, he'll certainly be a player of interest for any team facing off against him — the Aggies included.

Derek Wingo, Middle Linebacker

Wingo is entering his fifth season for the Gators and has shown perhaps the most consistency of any player on their defense. In the last three seasons, the linebacker has recorded double-digit tackles and has notched two sacks or more in each of his last two. He's yet to snag an interception or force a fumble, but with as much experience as he has coming back to Gainesville, chances are, he's looking to add that to his resume. Texas A&M will certainly have to watch him on the blitz and keep him at arms' length in the open field.