Tag: Devin Moore

2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Cornerbacks

Jason Marshall Jr. is Florida’s top corner once again to start the 2023 season, but there is a ton of competition for the No. 2 spot.

Florida lost two cornerbacks to the transfer portal over the offseason, but the four strongest players in the position room — Jaydon Hill, Jalen Kimber, Jason Marshall Jr., and Devin Moore — are all returning for the 2023 campaign.

Marshall will lead the group as he looks to be the next UF cornerback drafted in the first round. The potential has always been there, but he’s had a relatively quiet career at Florida through three seasons. This could be the year he steps up and receives national attention.

Behind Marshall are seven other scholarship corners and two walk-ons. Hill and freshman Sharif Denson have spent the fall practicing with the safeties at the STAR position, so they’ll be previewed with that group. Hill’s position change has opened the door for several young corners to step up, though.

Here’s a look at every cornerback on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Billy Napier provides update for injured pair of Gators

It looks like these two Gators will be back on the field well before the end of the preseason practice period.

The injury bug has bitten Florida football’s roster early on in the preseason practice schedule, but fortunately, it has not been too bad. On Monday, second-year head coach Billy Napier addressed the press and included an update on the injured list.

The main focus of concern has been sophomore interior linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag], who has been out since he sustained a knee injury on Aug. 2. Napier noted that the key defender will be out 7-10 days while recovering from the incident. In the interim, the staff will take a cautious approach to getting him up to speed during that 10-day period.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound inside linebacker from Mobile, Alabama, was a true freshman standout in the SEC last season, appearing in all 13 games for the Gators and amassing 47 tackles — second-most among true freshmen linebackers and sixth among his teammates overall. He also finished the regular season tied for second in sacks and forced fumbles among the conference peers who share his recruiting class.

Four-star legacy linebacker commit Myles Graham recently noted the importance of getting James back on the field.

“I think we need Shemar James,” he offered. “Really, really need him back.”

The other player out is sophomore cornerback Devin Moore, who is dealing with an undisclosed upper-body injury. According to Napier, he is expected to be back on the field “in the next few days” without any sense of concern from the second-year skipper.

It is worth noting that Moore sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery last year, ending his season after just five games. He spent the entirety of spring practice season in a non-contact jersey while rehabbing his shoulder.

The Gators opened camp Sunday, July 30, and the team held its first practice of the 2023 season on Monday, July 31. Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Pair of Gators noticeably absent from practice on Saturday

A couple of guys missed practice time on Saturday.

Florida football continued its preseason practice schedule on Saturday getting its reps in front of the general public — the first fall practice held in the Swamp in nine years. As the players toil away in preparation for the upcoming gridiron grind, a couple of Gators were noticeably missing from the field, according to On3’s Nick de la Torre.

Senior wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag], one of the leaders on and off the field for the Orange and Blue this season, missed the day with an undisclosed illness. It is likely a transient issue that should be resolved within a day or two but it is never a good sign when your top pass-catcher misses practice time.

Pearsall was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List last Monday.

The other teammate who could not make the field was sophomore cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], who is out with an undisclosed upper-body injury. He sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery last year that ended his season after just five games.

Moore spent the entirety of spring practice season in a non-contact jersey as he continues rehabbing his shoulder.

The Gators opened camp Sunday, July 30, and the team held its first practice of the 2023 season on Monday, July 31. Last Saturday’s event was the only practice open to the general public.

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Florida cornerback Avery Helm headed to transfer portal, per reports

Florida is losing defensive back Avery Helm to the transfer portal. The former four-star talent out of high school signed with the Gators in 2020.

Florida cornerback [autotag]Avery Helm[/autotag] is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 5, according to a report from Donovan Keiser of Gators Online. Helm took to Twitter to confirm the announcement soon after the news broke.

A class of 2020 signee, Helm broke out in the 2021 season as a redshirt freshman appearing in 11 games for Florida, including nine starts as a defensive back. He finished that year with three pass breakups and 22 tackles, five of which came in the Vanderbilt game.

Helm began 2022 as a starter for the Gators under Billy Napier but saw his role on the team reduced significantly after [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] returned from injury. Moved to the second team in Week 5, Helm’s snap count fell from around 45 per game to just 15 during Week 11. He did not play in the final two weeks of the season for Florida.

A ton of attrition is expected from this team, and Helm is the first domino to fall following the conclusion of the regular season. As things stand, Florida should be alright with the current and incoming crop of defensive backs it has, but Helm was a strong depth piece that clearly wasn’t getting enough playing time to stay in Gainesville.

[autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] still have eligibility to return as starters for next year, and true freshman [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] impressed before having his season cut short by injury.

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Depth Chart: Shorter returns from injury, Henderson out

The Gators are getting one starting receiver back this weekend but are losing another to injury. Check out the team’s depth chart ahead of the matchup with Vanderbilt.

The Florida Gators are getting back their top receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], this week, but they’ll also be down their No. 2 at the position with [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] making his way to the injury list.

Shorter has missed the past two weeks with an injury, but he’s now expected to return to his starting role with [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] at the other wide receiver spot. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag], who made his first career start for Florida against South Carolina and currently has the fifth-most receiving yards of any pass catcher on the roster, is listed behind Shorter as a second-string option. He was thrust into a starting role when Shorter and [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] hit the injury report, but it appears that Burke will get a shot this week.

Henderson has served as Florida’s punt returner for most of the year, so slot receiver Ricky Pearsall will step in to fill that role while he is out.

[autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag] is making is debut on the depth chart this week as a third-string option at receiver behind Pearsall and [autotag]Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman[/autotag].

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also off the injury report, but he’ll serve as the team’s third-string option, presumably to ease him back into playing time. [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the listed starter with [autotag]Jonathon Odom[/autotag] behind him. Odom scored his first career touchdown last weekend.

Kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] also remain on the injury report. Smack has been sidelined for two weeks now and was seen warming up before the South Carolina game but he wasn’t able to go. Moore’ season is over following surgery and the team hopes to get him back for offseason workouts.

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Depth Chart: Gators light at WR ahead of Week 11 matchup with South Carolina

The Gators might be thin at wide receiver this weekend when South Carolina comes to the Swamp.

The Florida Gators are still dealing with injuries, particularly at the wide receiver position, according to the Week 11 depth chart update released Wednesday evening.

The team’s leading receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], is still listed as questionable after missing the Texas A&M game, and backup [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] is out with an upper-body injury. Fraziars made his first-career start against the Aggies last week, so Florida will be down to it’s reserve options on Saturday.

Shorter is still listed as the starter, but freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] is set to make his first career start if he can’t go. Behind him and [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] will be Marcus Burke and [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] with [autotag]Kahleil Jackson[/autotag] as another option. [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is the starter in the slot.

The wide receiver room isn’t the only position group to deal with injuries. Starting left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with an upper-body injury. White is still listed as the starter, but that decision will be made as kickoff approaches.

Freshman kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag], who has exclusively served as Florida’s kickoff man this season, is out for a second straight week after missing the Texas A&M game. [autotag]Travis Freeman [/autotag]will back up [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] for all kicking duties.

At linebacker, [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] is back on the depth chart and off the injury report. He’s listed as a third-team option behind [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag].

Tight end Keon Zipperer will miss a second-straight game, and that’s all for the depth chart update this week. [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] are all out as well.

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Depth Chart: Florida dealing with injuries ahead of Texas A&M game

We know Florida will have to make up for the loss of Brenton Cox Jr. this week, but that wasn’t the only change made to the depth chart ahead of Texas A&M.

There were a number of notable changes on the weekly update to Florida’s depth chart, most of which had to do with injuries and departures from the team.

Following the departure of JACK linebacker [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]., [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag]. is now listed as the starter with [autotag]Lloyd Summerall III[/autotag] and David Reese behind him. Summerall should be the No. 2, but he is coming off an injury.

Nickelback Kamar Wilcoxson’s third-string spot at the STAR position was left blank this week.

Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] might be the most notable addition to the injury report. Florida’s leading receiver is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest with a lower-body injury. Shorter ranks in the top 10 for receiving yards among SEC players and has hauled in a pair of touchdown passes this year.

Expect sophomore [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] to receive an increased workload if Shorter can’t go.

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also dealing with an injury and won’t play on Saturdays. An Instagram post that was later deleted sparked some fear that he’d be out for the rest of the year, but Billy Napier said there’s still hope for him to return this year.

“Keon, I don’t know where that got blown out of — that’s wild,” Napier said with a smile. “Keon’ got a little bit of a knee (injury). Nothing long-term there. It’s very much to be determined based off his rehab and recovery right now. We don’t expect him to be available this weekend, but long-term no issue there.”

Inside linebacker [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] is questionable to play as well, but the corps of [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] should hold up with true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Derek Wing[/autotag]o behind them.

Linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag], tight ends [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore [/autotag]were all listed as out once again. Napier provided an update on Moore following a shoulder surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

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Florida loses true freshman CB Devin Moore for season after surgery

True freshman cornerback Devin Moore impressed through the first five weeks of the season, but surgery on a lingering shoulder injury has him out for the rest of the year.

Florida true freshman cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] underwent surgery on his shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the season, according to head coach Billy Napier‘s comments on Wednesday night.

“Devin is, I think we listed him as out,” Napier said. “Devin had a shoulder, and truth be known, this was an injury that he had when he arrived. It was uncovered during the first few weeks of the season. He showed great toughness. He played with it for a little while and it just got to a point where he’s not able to participate, so Devin had surgery today and certainly will be out.

“We’re hopeful we’ll have him back for offseason program and spring practice.”

Moore took to Twitter during the day to confirm a successful surgery, and Napier followed up with the timeline when talking with the media later that day.

Moore played in 167 snaps through the first five games of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He mainly lined up out wide but spent some time covering the slot and at safety. Although he was a productive player during those five games, passing the four-game limit means Moore won’t be able to take a redshirt.

[autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] will still be at the top of the depth chart among cornerbacks on the team, but Moore’s season-ending surgery opens the door for some rotational pieces to get more playing time. [autotag]Avery Helm[/autotag], who started the season as a starter, and Georgia transfer [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] should be the primary benefactors.

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Depth Chart: Florida OL O’Cyrus Torrence ready to return against Georgia

Florida’s weekly depth chart is out, and it looks like right guard O’Cyrus Torrence will be back on the field against Georgia.

The Florida Gators will welcome back their right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] on Saturday when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

UF released its weekly depth chart on Wednesday, and Torrence is no longer listed on the injury report with the lower-body issue that kept him out of the LSU game. He tried to play against the Tigers but didn’t feel well enough during pre-game warmups to take the field. Getting him back will provide a massive boost to Florida’s running game against what might be the best defense in the country.

That’s not the only change in the offensive line rotation. [autotag]Josh Braun[/autotag] is no longer with the team after announcing his intentions to enter the transfer portal in December upon graduating from UF. [autotag]Richie Leonard IV[/autotag], who was already ahead of Braun in the rotation, is now listed as the team’s backup at both guard positions.

The defensive unit remained mostly untouched through the bye week. JACK linebacker [autotag]Lloyd Summerall III[/autotag] is questionable with an upper-body injury, but he’s still listed as Florida’s third-string option behind [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag].

Linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] is still on the injury list with a lower-body issue. He missed Florida’s game against LSU and should be out against Georgia. True freshman cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] is also unlikely to play after missing the past two games.

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Billy Napier provides an update on this injured defensive back

True freshman cornerback Devin Moore didn’t play on Saturday for the Gators, and now we know why.

After true freshman cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] missed Florida’s contest against Missouri on Saturday, most assumed that he was dealing with some type of injury. On Monday, Gators head coach Billy Napier provided an update on Moore, informing the media that he had reaggravated an injury during practice.

That reaggravation lead to Moore’s inactivity on Saturday and could keep him out for the next few weeks. Napier didn’t rule out an appearance from Moore against LSU, but it sounds like Moore will be week-to-week until he’s fully healed.

“(He) got a little banged up late in practice on Wednesday,” Napier said of Moore’s injury. “Nothing major there. He’ll be kind of a work in progress this week, but he reaggravated an injury from the past and one that made him unavailable for the game.”

The good news for Florida here is that [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] recently returned to the rotation and has been on fire. After getting his feet wet against Eastern Washington, Hill had two interceptions against Missouri, including one for a touchdown. Hill’s emergence has moved everyone but [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. back a spot on the depth chart, meaning that Moore is at best the No. 4 for the Gators right now.

Napier probably still wants him to get reps during his freshman year, but there’s no need to rush him back before he’s ready. The next update Gators fans will get on Moore should come on Wednesday when the team typically releases its two-deep depth chart for the upcoming week.

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