While it's been a tough year for the Florida Gators, one issue has consistently plagued the team: Injuries. Arguably no part of the team has been hit harder than in the defensive secondary.
Of Florida’s 23 defensive backs on its roster, 18 of them have played at least one snap this season, and 15 have played a defensive snap.
Five of those players are freshmen, with three being true freshmen: J’Vari Flowers, Ben Hanks III and Lagonza Hayward. While there have been some growing pains, UF’s young defensive backs, paired with some experienced veterans, have made a difference on the field when their number has been called.
“It wasn't really that hard, because I remember, I played as a freshman, and I just wanted the guys to trust me around to get the job done,” junior defensive back Jordan Castell said Nov. 3. “But I trust the freshmen that are in the game. We practice, they're well prepared. The way we practice, I don't think no other team is doing it. Like, those guys are ready."
Florida’s veterans in the secondary, Castell, junior Bryce Thornton and senior Devin Moore, have been among the team’s top performers and have helped shape the next generation of starters in the defensive backfield.
“I try to take it as easy as possible and just try to teach them, because mistakes are going to happen,” said junior defensive back Bryce Thornton on Nov. 12. “I tell them, ‘I even make mistakes. I'm a junior.’ So, just staying with them, just trying to get on the same page and every little detail, just trying to help them."
After a solid 2024, Thornton broke out as one of Florida’s top performers on defense this season. In 2025, he’s recorded 42 tackles, five pass deflections and an interception. He also scored UF’s lone defensive touchdown of the season against Long Island on Aug. 30.
Thornton’s 81.0 Pro Football Focus grade is second among UF players who have played at least 100 snaps this season. The only player ahead of him is Moore.
Moore has been among the top defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference this season, grabbing two interceptions while deflecting three passes. Quarterbacks have a 61.2 passer rating when throwing towards the 6-foot-3 senior, who has remained healthy in 2025 after three consecutive injury-shortened seasons.
“It’s good, because [in] football, there's so many things that can happen in the game,” Thornton said about Moore. “I've seen him work since I've been a freshman, and I'm just so glad he can stay healthy, keep showing them what he's got."
Castell has had an up-and-down campaign in terms of coverage (52.6 PFF coverage grade), his run defense has been solid. He has only missed four tackles and posted a season-high 85.5 tackling grade against Kentucky.
While Thornton, Moore and Castell have been consistent forces in the secondary, many of its other veterans have dealt with injuries. Two starters, redshirt junior Dijon Johnson and redshirt sophomore Aaron Gates, suffered season-ending injuries in UF’s loss to Miami Sept. 20. Meanwhile, both redshirt sophomore Cormani McClain and junior Sharif Denson were sidelined for the Gators’ win over Mississippi State Oct. 18.
With four starters down against Mississippi State, including Moore, the door was wide open for some inexperienced Gators to step up and earn playing time. While a number of players rotated in, one stood out among the crowd: true freshman J’Vari Flowers.
After replacing redshirt freshman Jamroc Grimsley, who had struggled in the first quarter, Flowers shone, breaking up two passes and earning a 73.8 PFF game grade in 74 defensive snaps. He manned the outside cornerback position alongside fellow true freshman Ben Hanks III, helping earn the Gators the victory.
“[The] Mississippi State game, [J’Vari] and Ben Hanks, a freshman, they just got to play,” Thornton said. “Sometimes you make mistakes, but I keep telling them ‘next play,’ because you never know when your number is going to get called again."
While Hanks hasn’t played a defensive snap since, Flowers has been featured in both of UF’s losses to Georgia and Kentucky in November. His 72.1 PFF grade is 12th among true freshmen defensive backs who have played at least 150 snaps.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned McClain has shown flashes of developing into an elite cover corner. His 85.1 PFF grade against Miami was a breakout, and since then, he has started each of the four contests he has been active in, playing 60-plus snaps in three of them.
Their emergence hasn't stopped the Gators’ struggles, however, as they gave up a season-high 38 points against Kentucky Nov. 8. Thornton was the lone Gator defensive back with a 70-plus coverage grade in that contest.
While many of UF’s newcomers haven’t experienced many losses in their high school careers, Thornton has stressed the importance of learning that it isn’t only about the result, but about individual growth as well.
“That taught me, as a leader, I got to help the young guys, 'cause some of them haven't been through this,” Thornton said. “So my thing is just trying to help them get through the process and try to play a full season. It's a different learning experience, but everything happens for a reason.”
Florida’s defense will look to bounce back against a high-powered offense as it takes on No. 7 Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC) on Saturday at 7 pm in Oxford, Mississippi.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and also loves niche professional athletes (shoutout Tomas Fleischmann).
