UF football position preview: Safeties and STARs
TODAY: SAFETIES & STARS
What to expect
Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton were true freshmen, outflanked and flailing, when former LSU star Jayden Daniels set an SEC record with 606 total yards as the Tigers gained 701 yards — the most ever gained against the Gators — during a 52-35 loss in 2023. Through the growing pains and low points, the safety duo and leaders of the defense's back end have continued to grow and develop — the Gators hope into a force in 2025 with first-year coach Vinnie Sunseri now at the helm.
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The experience and potential are there. After all, Castell hasn't missed a start since Week 2 of his first season while recording 115 tackles and 12 pass breakups, including a team-leading 9 last season. A former standout cornerback at West Orange High, the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Castell has built his body and improved his communication. An 11-tackle day during UF's upset of LSU last November showed how far he had come.
A week later, Thornton had 14 stops and made two interceptions during the final 1:31 as the Gators stunned Ole Miss. The powerfully built 5-foot-10, 212-pound Georgian came on late in the season, recording 26 stops during the final three regular-season games to finish with 41 in 2024.
Like the Gators' starting tandem, 4-star prospects Hylton 'Drake' Stubbs and Lagonza Hayward hope to get their share of experience as first-year freshmen. Stubbs staked his claim during the spring game, with 8 tackles, an interception and a quarterback hurry. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound freshman arrived with vast experience, having played 45 combined games at Jacksonville Mandarin and Orange Park. Along the way, he tallied 286 tackles (22.5 for loss), 12 interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound Hayward, a former Tennessee commit, recorded 152 tackles, with 12 for loss, and 9 interceptions, including two pick-sixes, and 17 passes defended during his career at Toombs County High School in Lyons, Ga.
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While Castell and Thornton solidify the safety position, the Gators face questions at the STAR position, where a defender lines up in the slot to cover receivers, supports the run and can blitz the quarterback.
Third-year player Sharif Denson started five games there in 2024, finishing with 37 tackles, 5 for loss (2 sacks), and 2 pass breakups. The 5-foot-11, 191-pound former standout at Jacksonville's Bartram Trail underwent offseason foot surgery in the spring, but a 3-tackle effort in the spring game was encouraging.
In 2024, Aaron Gates proved to be a natural for the position in his second season and eventually moved into the starting role past Denson. The former 3-star recruit from Georgia soon evolved into the team's most dynamic playmaker on defense until a season-ending knee injury against Ole Miss.
The 6-foot, 189-pound Gates had 4 tackles with one for loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry during a loss to Georgia. He finished last season with 27 stops, 3 pass breakups and 2 fumble recoveries, but is highly unlikely to be ready for fall camp.
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While Gates recovers, redshirt freshman Josiah Davis will have a bigger role. He appeared in four games in 2024, logging one tackle.
What they're saying
'Unbelievable a lot of great guys or we have a lot of great guys, guys that are talented, smart, have a lot of experience, and there's also young guys that are coming in they are green but they're also extremely talented and eager to learn. Everybody is extremely locked in in meetings, they go on the practice field, and they excute as fast as they can. It's not always going to be perfect, but that's what the corrections are for. They are doing everything we ask of them as a staff and I think we've gotten better this spring. We're not where we need to be but we've taken steps in the right direction.' – first-year safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri
Returnees
Jordan Castell
Josiah Davis
Sharif Denson
Aaron Gates
Bryce Thornton
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Departures
DJ Douglas
Gregory Smith III
Asa Turner
New arrivals
Lagonza Hayward (Lyons, Ga.), true freshman
Drake Stubbs (Jacksonville), true freshman
Projected depth chart
Strong safety — Jordan Castell | Lagonza Hayward
Free safety — Bryce Thornton | Drake Stubbs
STAR — Sharif Denson | Josiah Davis
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Quarterback
Running back
Tight end
Receiver
Offensive line
Interior defensive line
Edge rusher
Linebacker
Cornerbacks
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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