Whether it’s Steve Spurrier screaming at his quarterbacks or Urban Meyer fawning over Florida’s punt coverage, nearly every college coach is remembered for the pet project they took on during their tenure.
For current UF coach Will Muschamp, it may very well be the secondary.
The 1994 Georgia grad played safety all four years with the Bulldogs.
Once Muschamp made his break into coaching, he continued to oversee the position he excelled at.
In 2008 at Texas, Muschamp took over as defensive coordinator and inherited a porous defense which allowed a school record 4,498 total yards — 3,306 of those in the air — just a year prior.
But despite starting two freshmen safeties, Muschamp’s system paid instant dividends as the Longhorns led the Big 12 in defensive scoring and total defense.
In his first year with the Gators, Muschamp will face a similarly daunting task following major personnel losses to Florida’s defensive backs this offseason.
Ahmad Black, UF’s leader in tackles and interceptions, graduated.
The enigmatic Will Hill, who struggled mightily as a junior but still finished with 54 tackles and two interceptions, left the Gators as an undrafted free agent.
Then in late April, Florida’s secondary took its biggest hit with the dismissal and transfer of All-American cornerback Janoris Jenkins — who most rate as college football’s top NFL prospect at the position.
In the wake of these departures, it’s up to Muschamp and newly-minted defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson to try and improve upon a group that was solid in 2010.
With the trio of Black, Hill and Jenkins prowling the secondary, UF’s defense ranked ninth in the nation in total yards and 13th in passing yards allowed.
This season, a wealth of Meyer-era talent looks to step into the roles of consistent starters, but they may not be the type of player Muschamp prefers for his defense.
While defensive playmakers like Matt Elam — a sophomore safety and 2011 Jim Thorpe Award candidate — and junior corner Jeremy Brown (3 interceptions, 5 pass breakups) look to be locks for playing time, incoming recruits and current underclassmen may see limited roles once Muschamp gets to recruit his brand of secondary players.
While Meyer preferred speed over size; at Texas, Muschamp was renowned for utilizing tall, physical cornerbacks.
Last season, Muschamp had five players six-foot or above at the position.
However, only 6-foot-3 redshirt senior Moses Jenkins currently hits the mark on Florida’s roster.
Despite missing the ideal players for the Gators’ new defense, sophomores Cody Riggs and Joshua Shaw and freshman De’Ante Saunders could have time to grow in a potential down year for Southeastern Conference quarterbacks and receivers.
Seven of the SEC’s 10 leaders in receptions per game last year — including stars A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Randall Cobb — were either drafted or ran out of eligibility.
But Florida’s current crop of cornerbacks and safeties will still have to perform well to sustain Muschamp’s exceeding expectations for the position.
Florida needs sophomore safety Matt Elam to take the next step in his development and grab the leadership role in the secondary. Elam must fill the void vacated by Janoris Jenkins and Ahmad Black.
