Florida will play the final five games of the 2024 regular season without its top cornerback, senior [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., according to a report from the Orlando Sentinel.
Marshall went down with a shoulder injury after making a tackle in Florida’s Week 8 win over Kentucky. After going to the locker room for an evaluation, Marshall returned to the sideline with his arm in a sling. Florida’s defense fared well without Marshall against a struggling Wildcats offense, notching three interceptions throughout the game.
Moving forward, junior [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] will act as Florida’s top corner, but the Gators will need one of their young defensive backs to step up in the wake of Marshall’s injury. Sophomore [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] also remains sidelined after suffering an injury in Week 2.
Sophomores [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] are the favorites to take over Florida’s second cornerback spot in the starting lineup. Johnson is the more experienced of the two and has played in every game for Florida this year; however, McClain is coming off a breakout performance against Kentucky where he returned an interception for a touchdown.
“Skill players always are a little insecure, and then when they get game experience, they have some production, and it’s like, ‘OK, I know what it’s like out there,’” Napier said of McClain on Wednesday. “He’s still learning the defense. But overall he’s got a smile on his face. I see him connecting with teammates. He’s growing up. He’s still very much a work in progress.”
Behind those two are a pair of true freshmen —Teddy Foster and Jameer Grimsley. Foster has played in four games this season and could still redshirt should he stay on the bench for the rest of the year, while Grimsley has yet to see the field.
Those numbers might point toward Grimsley getting the nod over Foster in an emergency situation.
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