Texas vs. Florida Preview: Defensive Players to Watch

A school plagued by poor defenses in recent history, the Gators will look to turn a young core into a strength in 2024.

Florida Gators defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong coaches Florida Gators defensive back Ahman Covington (31) and Florida Gators defensive back Sharif Denson (0) during University of Florida Gators Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

The last time the Florida Gators had a top 70 defense in the nation, a lot was different. Texas and Oklahoma were still in the Big 12, the LSU Tigers were the best team in the nation and Patrick Mahomes was still yet to have won a Super Bowl.

Whether it was the pandemic impacting recruiting or just a general culture shift, Florida has yet to even come close to the defense it brought out in 2019. Since the Gators' top 10 finish with the seventh-best defense in the nation under Dan Mullen, Florida has yet to allow less than 26 points per game in a season in any of the five seasons since.

When Billy Napier was originally hired to be the offensive mastermind of the next era of Florida football, questions about the defensive side of the ball immediately arose. Napier called on a duo of coaches in his first year, poaching New York Giants defensive line coach Sean Spencer and bringing along Louisiana defensive coordinator Patrick Toney. Napier aimed to combine the familiarity of working with Toney and the 20 years of defensive coaching experience from Spencer to create a fearsome defensive side of the ball.

The team was talented, with three players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft alongside five top-100 recruits on the defensive side of the ball in the last two recruiting classes, but the Florida defense still saw hints of the team Mullen left, giving up 30 or more points in six games, all resulting in losses.

Napier immediately looked for a change, bringing in Austin Armstrong from Southern Miss to be the sole defensive coordinator. Armstrong was a risky hire, having only spent two years of his career as a defensive coordinator with only one season at a power five program in 2019, where he spent time as a quality control coach at Georgia.

Armstrong, freshly turned 30 at his hiring, didn't fair much better in year one but showed Napier enough to want to keep him on the staff. Armstrong remains Florida's defensive coordinator in 2024 and will look to make the Gators' defense the best it's been since 2019.

In Armstrong's defense, he has been doing that in the offseason. The 2024 recruiting class featured a top-five recruit on the defensive line and two of the top 10 linebackers in the class. In 2023, the Gators got a pair of defensive linemen and a pair of cornerbacks, all rated in the top 12 at their respective positions. In the portal, Florida secured commitments from two top 12 cornerbacks as well as a top five defensive lineman and top 10 linebacker. On paper, despite the defense having many underclassmen, Florida has done a good job of building the unit.

But who should Texas fans fear the most when the two teams suit up in Week 11 of the college football season? Here are the three players to watch from Florida's defensive unit.

1. CB Jason Marshall

Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) catches a pass over Florida Gators defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. (3) during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Marshall enters the 2024 season as the key leader of the Florida secondary. The former top 25 national recruit has quietly been productive over his three starting seasons for the Gators, ending 2023 as one of five players with double-digit passes defended in the SEC.

Marshall headlines a young and brand-new secondary group. Among 14 defensive backs on the depth chart, Marshall is the only returning upperclassman, as the rest of the group is comprised of transfers and Devin Moore, who enters his junior year after missing half of the 2023 season. Marshall brings a sense of continuity that is not present throughout the majority of the defense.

Because of his play in 2023 and his outlook in 2024, the media voted him as the sole Gator to make a preseason All-SEC defensive team, giving a nod on the third team. Marshall will have his hands full against the plethora of weapons Texas has in the receiving core, but expect him to jump passing lanes and make plays as the alpha cornerback in Gainesville.

2. DL Joey Slackman

4-Star DL Transfer Joey Slackman while at Penn /

It's rare to see a man as well educated as Slackman playing SEC football, joining the Gators after spending his initial college football career earning a political science degree at Penn.

The former Ivy leaguer is not just a weapon academically, he's a problem on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive tackle put up stellar numbers in his final year in the Ivy League, recording 12 tackles for loss and four sacks in nine games, being named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.

The AFCA second-team All-American looked to elevate his football career after receiving his degree, putting his name into the transfer portal. Florida pounced on the 6'4, 300-pound defensive tackle and made him one of their first signings. Slackman was a top-five defensive tackle in the portal, according to 247Sports, and the only questions come from his availability after a season-ending surgery on his bicep.

Slackman will work in tandem with nose tackle Cam Jackson and defensive end Justus Boone, productive upperclassman returners who will give the Gators one of the more experienced lines in 2024.

3. LB Shemar James

Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) looks at the quarterback during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rounding out all three levels of the Gators' defense is Shemar James. James registered 54 tackles for the Gators in 2023, second on the roster despite missing four games. James was on pace to be a key contributor for Florida, and the defense was notably worse in his absence in 2023.

In the four SEC games before James' injury, the Gators gave up 25.5 points per game, but after the Georgia game where he suffered a knee injury, the Gators gave up 37 points per game, including a 21-point loss when the LSU Tigers hung 52 on Florida.

James is healthy and ready to lead the defense after fellow linebacker Scooby Williams transferred to Texas A&M. James and linebacker Derek Wingo are the returners in the group, but the linebacker core is headlined by new names. Grayson 'Pup' Howard flashed as a freshman at South Carolina, and Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham were the two freshmen who were ranked as the top 10 recruits at the position.

In general, there are many young names that could've been on this list but have spots that are very much in question. Florida has the No. 1 and No. 4 cornerback recruits from the 2023 class on the roster now, but there are still questions about whether Colorado transfer Cormani McClain is physically able to play in the SEC yet, and returning sophomore Ja'Keem Jackson was limited in play time last season.

Alongside Chiles and Graham, the 2024 class featured LJ McCray, the No. 4 prospect in the nation who will look to compete for a spot on the defensive line. Kelby Collins and Kamran James were also top 100 recruits in the 2023 class, but have yet to see notable play time as well. This list could be very different come November, as there's a good chance many of these names are asked to step up against a star group like Texas.