The initial SEC Availability Report released by Florida on Wednesday painted a grim picture for the team’s secondary. Multiple starters were listed as either “out” or “questionable,” but a Thursday update has provided some hope that the Gators will have more depth on Saturday than initially expected.
Sophomore defensive backs [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] are no longer listed on the availability report, signaling a likely return against Texas A&M.
Denson started at the STAR position in Week 1 against Miami and performed reasonably well at the hybrid position. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 63. 9 on defense, including a 74.0 grade as a run defender.
Redshirt freshman Aaron Gates stepped in for Denson at the STAR against Samford, but the team is better with both guys available. A position battle between the two during fall camp has led to both getting reps when healthy. If either goes down again, the team will lean heavily on the healthy one and use Alfonzo Allen Jr. sparingly as a backup.
Thornton will see the field for the first time in 2024 on Saturday after missing each of the first two games of the season. With fellow safety Asa Turner listed as “out,” Florida needs some depth on its last line of defense.
As a true freshman, Thronton played regularly in Florida’s secondary, starting four games and accumulating more than 300 snaps on defense. His 58.8 defensive grade on PFF is solid for a first-year player at the college level, but he’s expected to step up more in his second season.
Texas A&M adds names to availability report
The Aggies only listed three players on their initial availability report, but the number has since doubled.
Most notably, starting quarterback Conner Weigman is now listed as questionable, but Texas A&M has secondary troubles of its own, too. Starting nickelback Tyreek Chappell and starting strong safety Trey Jones III are both out this week.
That means former Florida Gators Jaydon Hill is likely to start at nickelback for TAMU.
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