Florida’s Secondary Part One: Breaking Down Cornerback Room
After previewing the interior defensive line, EDGE, and linebacker position groups, we move to the third level of the Florida defense—the secondary. We will break this into two separate previews, starting with the cornerback room.
The biggest area of improvement for Florida’s defense this season is in the secondary. Florida’s pass defense struggled in 2024, giving up 228 yards per game through the air, which ranked 11th in the SEC and 83rd nationally. Additionally, Florida was one of the worst teams in the country at preventing explosive pass plays down the field. Last year’s secondary had its fair share of blown coverages downfield; according to Pick Six Previews, Florida ranked 101st in the nation in explosive passes allowed at 6.9%.
With all that said, an area Florida excelled in from 2023 to 2024 was creating turnovers, primarily interceptions. In 2023, Florida forced just three interceptions; last season, they forced 14, and return both Safety junior Bryce Thornton, who led the team in INTs (3), and cornerback senior Devin Moore, who finished second with two picks.
The cornerback unit loses three key contributors from a year ago. Do-it-all Trikweze Bridges and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. went pro, while CB Ja’Keem Jackson transferred to LSU.
Moore, being the only senior, will lead a relatively young cornerback room. Behind him, junior Dijon Johnson and redshirt sophomore Cormani McClain will duke it out for the second starting outside corner spot.
Before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Georgia, Moore was emerging as one of Florida’s premier defensive backs. He closed the 2024 season with 17 tackles, two interceptions, and four passes defended, while holding opponents to a 50% completion rate (18-of-36) when targeted. Determined not to fall short of injury again, Moore has changed up his routine this offseason to better prepare himself.
“Just being healthy. I’ve taken a very intensified approach on that. I stay here more than I go home now. So just being up here, any little thing from toes to knees to thighs, elbows, anything you can think of, just making sure everything is accounted for,” Moore said earlier this month via Gator’s Country Nick Marcinko.
“I did blood tests with the medical staff, the training staff, and then I’ve also done like nutrition – foods that cause inflammation in my body tests with the nutrition staff,” Moore added. “So, a combination of all of those things, also just talking to each staff on a daily basis. ‘This is what I’m kind of feeling today.’ And they’ll just give me a great plan, and all I got to do is execute it.”
When Moore went down for the year, Johnson stepped into the starting role and performed well. He finished playing 550 snaps, making 27 total tackles, breaking up two passes, and holding a 52% completion percentage. Johnson underwent surgery at the end of the year, missed part of spring, and has remained limited in fall camp to this point.
Following a quick stint with Deion Sanders and Colorado, McClain transferred to Florida last season. To maintain his redshirt status, McClain only played in three games before suffering a season-ending upper-body injury. His most memorable game came against Kentucky, where he had one tackle and a pick-six. In the next game against Georgia, he had a season-high four tackles, three being solo. Reports are that McClain holds a slight lead over Johnson, but they will likely split time during the year.
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Right before fall camp kicked off, reporters asked head coach Billy Napier what he wants to see from McClain heading into the season.
“I think Cormani has taken the feedback and tried to get better. He needs to become a better tackler. I think the weight room helps that. His physicality, his play strength. Obviously, he’s gotta be a better communicator. And he’s gotta have a thorough understanding of the playbook. Now, this guy, there’s growth. It’s time to do it,” Napier said on July 29th.
Moving on, redshirt senior Michael Caraway Jr. transfers in from Southern Miss and will fall behind Johnson and McClain. In his three seasons at Southern Miss, Caraway Jr. started in 15 of his 35 games played, produced 70 tackles, defended seven passes, and had one fumble recovery.
Redshirt Freshman Teddy Foster will likely compete with Caraway Jr. for playing time backing up McClain and Johnson. As a freshman, Foster appeared in five games, including two defensively. In those two games, Foster made four tackles, with three solo, and allowed only one catch while in coverage.
On Moore’s side will be a multitude of freshmen jockeying for playing time. A trio of corners have stood out among the rest – Ben Hanks III, J’Vari Flowers, and Onis Konanbanny. It is unlikely that these players make huge impacts for Florida this season, barring injuries to the guys above them on the depth chart.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, NCAA, SEC
