Tag: Jason Marshall Jr

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.

Trio of Gators make Preseason Coaches All-SEC Third Team

These three Gators will be instrumental in Florida football’s success tis fall.

This year’s Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team rosters were released on Tuesday, with a trio of Florida football players making the cut for the third team.

Sophomore running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag], junior cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and EDGE rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] earned those third-team honors, which adds to Umanmielen’s current list of preseason accolades. The 6-foot-5-inch, 254-pound defender has already been named to the Lombardi Award Watch List as well as the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List.

Etienne, brother of former Clemson Tigers standout and current NFL running back Travis Etienne, has high expectations coming into the season after a tidy true freshman campaign in 2022. His 719 yards on the ground ranked fourth-most by a freshman in program history and his 85-yard touchdown run was tied for the sixth-longest by an FBS running back last year.

Marshall is a former five-star recruit who has taken a while to ripen into the collegiate cornerback his talent has always projected. He played in all 26 games with 19 starts during his first two seasons, starting all 13 appearances last season, recording 52 tackles (35 solo), 11 pass breakups, three tackles for a loss and two interceptions.

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

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Florida football announces 2023 SEC Media Days representatives

This trio of Gators will join Billy Napier in Nashville for this summer’s SEC Media Days.

Florida football players [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] will represent the Gators alongside Billy Napier this year at the SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tennessee, the league announced on Monday.

The four-day event, which kicks off on July 17 inside the Nashville Grand Hyatt, features all 14 conference head coaches along with three players per team representing their respective programs.

Florida makes its appearance at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 19, coinciding with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks and Kentucky Wildcats on the same day. The rest of the conference’s daily schedule and coaches can be found below.

Monday, July 17

LSU – Brian Kelly
Missouri – Eli Drinkwitz
Texas A&M – Jimbo Fisher

Tuesday, July 18

Auburn – Hugh Freeze
Georgia – Kirby Smart
Mississippi State – Zach Arnett
Vanderbilt – Clark Lea

Wednesday, July 19

Alabama – Nick Saban
Arkansas – Sam Pittman
Florida – Billy Napier
Kentucky – Mark Stoops

Thursday, July 20

Ole Miss – Lane Kiffin
South Carolina – Shane Beamer
Tennessee – Josh Heupel

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One Gator included in way-too-early first-round mock draft from ESPN

A lot will change over the next nine months, but ESPN projects one Florida Gator to come off the board in the first round of the 2024 draft.

Most Florida Gators fans are expecting wide receiver Ricky Pearsall or one of the running backs — Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne — to lead the team this season, but that’s not the player ESPN’s Jordan Reid thinks will end up as a first-round draft pick.

It’s still very early in the 2024 draft cycle to be putting together first-round mocks, but Reid thinks cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. will be a top-30 overall pick when April finally rolls around. He has Marshall going No. 27 overall to the Dallas Cowboys. Although that pick is a bit surprising, Marshall’s talent has always been there.

If defensive backs coach Corey Raymond can unlock the former top-25 overall recruit’s full potential, there’s a good chance he ends up a first-rounder. With just two interceptions over as many seasons at Florida, the production isn’t quite there for NFL teams to take the risk, but a full season as the true No. 1 for an SEC program could do the trick.

“At 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, Marshall’s length causes issues for opponents in man coverage,” Reid said. “However, he lacks ball production (only two career interceptions), and scouts want to see him make a bigger impact on passes in the air next season.”

There’s no doubt that this is a make-or-break season for Marshall, but the folks at ESPN are expecting him to boom instead of bust. That’s good news for Gators fans, who have endured a couple of rough seasons on defense lately.

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Florida football players set SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll record

The University of Florida is a top educational institution in many ways these days.

The SEC announced their 2022 Fall Academic Honor Roll on Thursday, with the Florida Gators football team setting a conference record. Of the Orange and Blue’s 113 student-athletes that received Academic Honor Roll distinctions, 62 were football players, breaking the previous conference record of 55 players set back in 2020.

The 2022 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2022 spring, summer, and fall terms. Of the 62, 27 student-athletes earned a grade point average of 3.4 or higher, with [autotag]Noah Keeter[/autotag] and [autotag]Marco Ortiz[/autotag] recording a 4.0. Thirty-three of the players named received the honor for at least the second time.

Here are the criteria needed to be named to the SEC Academic Honor Role:

(1) A student-athlete must have a grade point average of 3.00 or above for either the preceding academic year (two semesters or three quarters) or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution.

(2) If a student-athlete attends summer school, his/her grade point average during the summer academic term must be included in the calculation used to determine eligibility for the Academic Honor Roll.

(3) Student-athletes eligible for the Honor Roll include those receiving an athletics scholarship, recipients of an athletics award (i.e., letter winner), and non-scholarship student-athletes who have been on a varsity team for two seasons.

(4) Prior to being nominated, a student-athlete must have successfully completed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of non-remedial academic credit toward a baccalaureate degree at the nominating institution.

(5) The student-athlete must have been a member of a varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.

Popular players to be named to the list includes [autotag]O’Cryus Torrence[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], and [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., among others. The record is in line with the university’s recent marketing of being a top ten public institution in the country, along with having a top ten athletic program in the country.

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Taking a look at Florida’s depth chart ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl

The Las Vegas Bowl is almost here and Florida is working with a different look roster after a busy start to the transfer season.

Florida’s depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl looks a whole lot different from the opening-day roster, but that’s expected as players leave for the draft, enter the transfer portal and suffer injuries over the course of the year.

Starting with the offense, Florida is down players at every position but running back. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] is making his first start at quarterback with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] headed to the NFL, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] true will serve as the backup. True freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is listed as the third-string option under center.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] are the only available running backs on Saturday, but that duo has the bulk of Florida’s carries over the season so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is preparing for the draft, which means [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is the new No. 1 out wide for the Gators. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] gets the No. 2 spot (and his second start) with [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] in the transfer portal, and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is still in the slot. Despite losing some talent from the receivers room, Florida is in an okay spot heading into the bowl game.

At tight end, [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with an injury, meaning [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the starter once again. [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] was productive as the team’s second tight end towards the end of the season and will get another shot to audition for next year against Oregon State.

Florida’s offensive line features a new face: Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who will get his first start at right guard with O’Cyrus Torrence headed to the pros. Left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is also going to the NFL, but he could start in the bowl game and is officially listed as an “or” option along with [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag]. [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinglsey Eguakun[/autotag] remain at left guard and center, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] returns to the right tackle spot. Christian Williams could see an increase in snaps as the primary backup for either guard spot with [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] injured.

Now on to the defense.

Florida’s defensive line looks the same as it was through the final few games of the season: [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Princely Umanimielen[/autotag] at defensive end, [autotag]Desmond Watson [/autotag]at nose tackle and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland J[/autotag]r. at the JACK linebacker spot. The big change in the front seven comes at [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]’s linebacker spot which now belongs to [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag]. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is the other starting linebacker, but expect [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] to get some work in too.

In the secondary, [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] remain as Florida’s starting cornerbacks, and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag] will get another run at their respective safety spots. [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] is stepping in for an injured [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at the STAR, but that shouldn’t disrupt the defense too much.

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Florida cornerback Jason Marshall signs NIL deal

Florida CB has announced a new NIL partnership, a positive sign for the Gators’ NIL collective

Sophomore cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. has signed a NIL deal with Magnuson Performance, a car customization company. In his Instagram announcement of the deal, Marshall he is partnering with the company to “build my custom scat pack”. A “scat pack” is the trim that is featured on the Dodge Challenger and Charger vehicles.

This is a good sign for the Florida NIL project that will entice players to stay in Gainesville instead of jumping into the transfer program. The announcement came on Monday, Nov. 28, just three days after the Gators lost to Florida State 45-38.

Marshall Jr. started all 12 games at cornerback for the Gators this season. He recorded 27 total tackles and one interception. That interception came late in the Vanderbilt game, giving the Gators an opportunity to come back and win the game. Ultimately, that did not happen.

Marshall Jr. is expected to play in the Gators’ bowl game this postseason. Florida will find out their opponent on Sunday, at the earliest. The College Football Playoff Selection Show will announce the four playoff teams and the New Year’s Six participants. After that has been announced, the individual bowl games will announce their participants throughout the afternoon.

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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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Social media’s reactions to Florida’s 41-24 win over Texas A&M

Social Media reacts to the Florida Gators’ 41-24 win over Texas A&M, their first conference win since October 8th vs Missouri.

The Florida Gators defeated the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday, their first SEC win since Oct. 8. The Gators now move to 5-4, while Texas A&M drops their fifth straight game, putting them at 3-6 on the season.

The game started off quickly, with the first quarter finishing 17-14 in the Gators’ favor. At first glance, it looked like the offenses were firing on all cylinders. In reality, both defenses seemed to forget that the game kicked off at 11 a.m. local time. Texas A&M battling an illness bug that impacted over 10 players also contributed to the early score.

The second half saw the Gators take control of the game on both sides of the ball. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] settled in and had multiple throws worthy of a highlight reel, including two touchdown passes in the 3rd quarter. The defense was able to get after Aggies quarterback Haynes King, forcing two turnovers in the fourth quarter that put Florida in a position to ice the game.

Here’s how social media reacted to Florida’s 41-24 win over Texas A&M.

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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