Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Safety/STAR

Wrapping up the defensive side of Gators Wire’s position preview series are the safeties.

Defensive backs coach Will Harris is in charge of this group, too, which is comprised of a mix of new and returning talent. Leading the group is sophomore Jordan Castell, who showed great promise as a true freshman. Behind Castell, is a trio of talented transfers that should shore up the position room.

We’re including Florida’s nickelback position, the star, here as well. Some of the star guys could play corner too since it’s a hybrid position of sorts.

Let’s take a look at every cornerback on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.

Starting Free Safety: No. 14 Jordan Castell (So.)

Defensive Stats:

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2023	12	30	30	60	1.5-11	0-0	1	4

[autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] was Florida’s best defensive back in 2023. Pro Football Focus gave him a 75.6 overall defensive grade, and he didn’t have a true weak spot in his game. Florida coaches expect Castell to take a step forward in 2024, too, as he physically matures and enters the season with more than 650 snaps under his belt.

“He’s just a different place right now,” Napier said. “He’s playing faster. He’s got a better comprehension of the system. He’s communicating better. You see him barking out calls.

“I think he would probably tell you that the veteran safeties that we’ve added to the team have made him a better player. Number one, they do it the right way — their work ethic, their attention to detail, the way they approach their business.”

Don’t let his 68.8% completion rate against fool you. Castell thrives in Cover 3 situations and can completely take a team’s top option out of the game. He’s the kind of guy opposing quarterbacks will see on one side field and target the other.

Starting Strong Safety: No. 20 Asa Turner (R-Sr.)

Defensive Stats (at Washington):

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2019	12	16	3	19	2-3	0-0	1	1
2020	4	9	8	17	0-0	0-0	1	2
2021	10	22	12	34	2-3	0-0	2	2
2022	10	33	19	52	1-3	0-0	2	3
2023	7	16	10	26	2-5	0-0	0	0
Total	43	96	52	148	7-14	0-0	6	8

[autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag] was the heartbeat of Washington’s defense last year, even though he missed most of the season recovering from injury. Pro Football Focus gave him a 72.4 overall defensive grade, but he’s not the same all-around safety that Castell is.

Turner is a strong tackler, often scoring in the 80s on PFF in that category. He’s good in coverage but can struggle against the run at times. He played a lot of free safety at Washington, but a move to strong safety could be best for him in the SEC.

There shouldn’t be any concerns about Turner’s ability to perform entering his sixth season at the college level, either. He wasn’t phased out or fighting with the coaching staff. It was simply time for a change of scenery.

“I needed a change,” Turner said. “I had been at Washington for the past five years, been doing the same routine, living in the same apartment, seeing the same people, driving the same car. I probably felt it was time for a change, and I wanted to go out with a bang this sixth year.”

Starting STAR: No. 0 Sharif Denson (So.) or No. 13 Aaron Gates (So.)

A pair of second-year Gators are standing out at the star position heading into Week 1 of the college season.

Sharif Denson:

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2023	12	3	4	7	0.5-2	0-0	0	0

[autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] played in all 12 games for Florida a season ago, both in a special teams role and as a reserve defensive back. He only saw the field for 49 snaps, but now he’s competing for a starting role. Pro Football Focus graded him the highest against the run (81.9), but he wasn’t a strong tackler (48.4). More snaps means more responsibility, but he’ll be able to share the load with Gates.

[autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag] only played one snap on defense last year en route to a redshirt, but he’s right in the thick of the competition for a starting spot this year.

“Very competitive at the star position. He’s (Gates) in the thick of it here,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. “It was great for him to get four games of experience. He played a little bit on special teams. Aaron’s a young player. This is his first shot, his first go-round, and he’s right in the middle. Every day for him is critical.”

Backups: No. 7 Trikweze Bridges, No. 12 DJ Douglas (R-Sr.) and No. 18 Bryce Thornton (So.)

DJ Douglas (at Tulane):

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2021	10	3	2	5	0-0	0-0	0	0
2022	13	16	3	19	0-0	0-0	1	2
2023	13	39	15	54	1-1	0-0	3	5
Total	36	58	20	78	1-1	0-0	4	7

[autotag]DJ Douglas[/autotag] was a consistent contributor for Tulane over the past three years, so it’s a bit odd to see him enter the 2024 campaign as a potential backup. Douglas figures to be the primary backup to both Castell and Turner, and he could even work his way into a starting job.

In a perfect world, he’s an elite depth option that Florida can bring in off the sidelines once fatigue sets in. He’s also an option at the star position.

Trikweze Bridges (at Oregon):

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2020	6	2	0	2	0-0	0-0	0	0
2021	14	17	9	26	1-2	0-0	1	2
2022	13	30	19	49	1-2	0-0	3	8
2023	13	7	9	16	0.5-1	0-0	0	3
Total	47	56	37	93	2.5-5	0-0	4	13

[autotag]Trikweze Bridges[/autotag] is another transfer (from Oregon) who has a ton of experience. Bridges can play anywhere in the secondary, which should get him on the field a good amount at Florida. His best fit might be the star position, and a lack of experience at the position could provide the open door he’s looking for.

Bryce Thornton:

Year	GP	SOLO	AST	TOT	TFL	SACKS	INT	PD
2023	12	19	15	34	3.5-21	0.5-7	0	1

Did we mention there’s some depth in Florida’s secondary? [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] appeared in all 12 games for the Gators last season, including four starts, but he remains a backup thanks to an influx of talent in the position room.

Thornton offers a unique skill set to the room, though. He has a penchant for getting to ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage, at least more so than your average defensive back. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Thornton enter the game in short-yardage and goalline situations as an extra blitzer.

Freshmen: No. 23 Josiah Davis (Fr.) and No. 30 Gregory Smith III (Fr.)

Florida welcomes two first-year safeties to the position room this year, [autotag]Josiah Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Gregory Smith III[/autotag].

Smith was a four-star recruit out of high school but he might not see the field any sooner than Davis. Florida has depth at both safety positions, which could bury Smith in Year 1. Davis, on the other hand, might be a better fit at the star position. The hierarchy is less clear there than at the two safety positions, so a door could be opened.

Look for both to redshirt this season barring an injury to one of the guys ahead of them on the depth chart.

Walk-Ons: No. 31 Ahman Covington (R-Fr.), No.32 Cahron Rackley (R-Jr.), No. 39 Brayden Slade (R-Fr.), No. 43 Alfonzo Allen Jr. (Jr.) and No. 46 Ethan Wilson (R-Sr.)

Florida has five walk-on safeties on its roster heading into the fall.

Redshirt junior Cahron Rackley is the most tenured of the group, entering his fourth season with the Gators. The former Miami Palmetto defensive back walked on to the team in the spring of 2021 and made his first appearance last season during the win over McNeese.

Ahman Covington, Brayden Slade and Ethan Wilson are entering their second year with the program. Wilson is a redshirt senior, which might get him on the field sooner than the others, but the two redshirt freshmen are both preferred walk-ons. The PWO tag usually means there’s a chance to earn a scholarship.

Finally, there’s former Baylor reserve Alfonzo Allen Jr. He appeared in all 25 games for the Bears over the past two seasons, primarily in a special teams role. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him as a regular in the third phase of the game for Florida.

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