Tre’Vez Johnson – Syndication Server

Former Michigan safety transferring to Florida

Billy Napier wanted to add another defensive back to the roster through the spring transfer portal, and he’s found his man in former Michigan safety RJ Moten.

The Florida Gators earned a commitment from Michigan transfer safety [autotag]RJ Moten[/autotag] on Tuesday, one day after his official visit.

Moten is a Florida legacy. His dad, Ron Moten Sr., played for the Gators from 1982-1986 and was drafted in the sixth round by the Philadephia Eagles. The junior Moten joins the Orange and Blue with two years of eligibility left.

A former four-star recruit, Moten signed with the Michigan Wolverines in 2020 and appeared in one game on special teams as a freshman before redshirting.

His second year in Ann Arbor was more eventful. Moten played in all 14 of the Wolverines’ games and started five of them. As a junior in 2022, he started 10 games at safety, but eventually lost the job to Makari Page. With younger talent also improving and forcing competition, Moten’s best career move was to hit the transfer portal after spring practices.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Crv1HNJOKkX/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D

Now, Moten will join a safety room that is losing two starters from a season ago in Florida. [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] both signed undrafted free-agent contracts with NFL teams and Moten offers a veteran replacement to either of those two. He could also wind up playing the STAR position, which was left vacant when [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] transferred out.

Sophomores [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Mitchell[/autotag] are expected to play significant roles in Florida’s secondary, and senior [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] might be the only other lock for playing time as an expected starter.

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Florida named a loser at NFL draft declaration deadline by 247Sports

Several Florida players are headed to the NFL this offseason, and that puts Billy Napier and the Gators in a tough spot.

Monday was the deadline for players to declare for the 2023 NFL draft, and 247Sports wasted little time declaring the Florida Gators as one of the primary losers of the cycle.

Losing quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] was “potentially unavoidable,” but that doesn’t even consider the losses of First Team All-American right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], starting left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] and leading receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag]. Gouraige and Torrence anchored an elite line for the Gators in 2022, and Shorter was a consistent threat and veteran presence on the team.

Richardson’s departure hurts the most, though. He had several years of college eligibility left, and most scouts agree he could have used another year to hone his talents. Still, money talks, and Florida’s recent NIL struggles suggest that they couldn’t compete with the numbers linked to a potential first-round pick.

On defense, Florida is losing another underclassman that could have benefitted from one more year in the SEC, defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. Much like Richardson, there’s a lack of consistency on tape for Dexter and it will hurt him in the draft process. Replacing an explosive talent like him isn’t easy either. A former five-star recruit, Dexter leaves Florida with the feeling of what could have been.

The other major loss on defense is linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], who is often described as the heart and soul of the team. Losing him in 2021 was disastrous for Florida and the team looked lost without him on the field against USF this season. Someone is going to have to step up and take over Miller’s role in 2023.

The Gators are also losing both starting safeties to the draft, [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag]. With [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] transferring to Missouri, Florida will need to replace three starting defensive backs next year.

Billy Napier will work with the pieces he has, and it’s hard to blame college players for taking their shot at the pros, but it’s undeniable that Florida is in a much worse spot than it was just a few months ago, at least from a depth standpoint. The transfer portal will have to provide some answers here, but Napier might let his first recruiting class get some early playing time as well.

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Florida offers ASU transfer defensive back, official visit in the works

The Gators aren’t slowing down in the transfer portal. Arizona State defensive back DJ Taylor is the latest to be connected to UF.

The Gators are staying active in the transfer portal and have offered a scholarship to former Arizona State defensive back [autotag]DJ Taylor[/autotag], according to 247Sports.

Taylor entered the portal on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and quickly received an offer from Florida on Friday. He could end up playing safety or the STAR for Florida and is a special-teams threat as well. While no date is set just yet for an official visit, Taylor and Florida have discussed Jan. 6 trip to the Swamp.

Florida recently lost a ton of depth from its secondary. Both starting safeties in 2022, [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag], are headed to the NFL draft, and starting nickel [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] is in the transfer portal.

There should be plenty of opportunity for Taylor to contribute at Florida if he chooses to join the program, particularly in a kickoff return role. He’s totaled 42 kickoff returns since joining Arizona State in 2020 and has 67 total returns to his name.

He started the year as the Sun Devils’ starting nickel but was replaced for the final seven games of the year. He’ll have to improve if he wants to contribute in the Swamp, but Billy Napier and Co. don’t seem deterred by his down year on defense.

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Gators third-year sophomore DB leaves via transfer portal

Florida lost a pair of young defensive backs to the transfer portal on Friday, including Tre’Vez Johnson.

Florida football’s roster has been hemorrhaging of late thanks to NCAA transfer portal — the de facto free agency system in collegiate sports that has gone wild since the free-for-all opened up following the COVID season. On Friday, the Gators lost a pair of young defensive backs who are seeking greener pastures, including third-year sophomore [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] who announced his plans on Twitter with a brief post.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 194-pound DB from Jacksonville (Florida) Bartram Trail — who was a three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle — appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman, notching 15 total tackles along with two pass breakups, one tackle for loss and an interception.

Johnson made 16 starts at the STAR position stretching over the last two seasons, appearing in 22 games to make it 34 total for his career in Gainesville. In 2021, he started in seven of his 10 appearances, notching 24 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception; he recorded 26 total tackles in 2022 with two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries along with an interception.

He is the only Gator to have grabbed an interception in each of the last three seasons. Johnson still has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining for wherever he ends up landing.

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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.

#Gators depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl vs. Oregon State pic.twitter.com/PltcIFsftl

— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall_) December 15, 2022

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 DB target moves official visit up, locks in commitment date

This could be a big week for the Florida Gators and this Peach State defensive back.

Defensive back [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] will make his college decision on Thursday, and the Florida Gators are one of two finalists along with Alabama for the Peach State recruit. Florida’s already picked up a pair of crystal ball predictions from the experts at 247Sports, and the Gators received some more good news leading up to decision day. Thornton is moving his official visit up a week to see UF play LSU this weekend, according to a report from Swamp247.

Even though Thornton’s official visit will come after he commits, many believe that he’ll make that trip with a pledge to UF in the books. Alabama is loaded up at safety, and he’s been much closer with the Gators’ staff over the past few months. He’s been to the Swamp four times this year, including a Week 2 trip for the Kentucky game.

Thornton should get time at safety or the nickel (STAR) position once he gets to college. Florida will be losing Trey Dean next season, and the other two starters at those spots, [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag], are both draft eligible.

I will be committing October 13th @ Milton High School @ at 3:15pm. pic.twitter.com/fTeTqE5wkQ

— BRYCE THORNTON (@Brycethornton_2) October 10, 2022

Thornton is a three-star recruit on both the 247Sports composite and the On3 consensus. On3 is the only site that views him as a four-star recruit and has him at a No. 27 among safeties in the class of 2023, but ESPN isn’t too far behind, ranking him at No. 28 in his position group.

This could be one of Billy Napier’s diamonds in the rough that ends up a four-star when all is said and done. Several commits have seen their grades rise over the season, and there’s still plenty of high school ball to be played.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Safeties

Three returning starters headline the safeties group at Florida in 2022, but there’s a good amount of young talent behind them to be excited about.

Rounding out the defense in Gators Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida football roster are the safeties.

Florida’s scheme calls for five defensive backs and utilizes the nickelback position, which they call the STAR. Fortunately, the Gators return starters at all three positions in 2022. [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] are back to man the safety spots, and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] is at the STAR.

Behind them are a group of relatively young and inexperienced players, some of which could take a huge step over the season if they see enough snaps. At the top of that list might be [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], the surprise five-star signing that Billy Napier pulled off during the early signing period last year.

This should be one of the stronger position groups on the team this year given the returning experience in the room. Here is a look at all 13 safeties on the 2022 Florida football fall roster.

Here’s where Florida football stands in ESPN’s top 25 Future Power Rankings

You’re probably not going to like where ESPN ranks the Gators. We certainly didn’t.

Florida’s football program reached stratospheric heights during the first decade of the 21st century under head coach [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], but since his departure, the team has taken a massive U-turn back into a level of mediocrity not seen since before [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag]’s tenure. Exacerbating the issue is the coaching carousel that the Orange and Blue experienced in recent years, having burned through three new skippers before bringing on [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] to right the ship.

There is little question that the new administration has a steep hill to climb to get the Gators back to their previous level of success. Even though [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure saw three straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances, it still came to a tumultuous close as the program imploded upon itself due to neglect, leaving things in shambles for the next coach to clean up.

With that in mind, ESPN senior writer Adam Rittenberg recently published his college football’s top 25 future power rankings and where he placed Florida may rustle a few jimmies among the Gator Nation. Take a look at his entry below.

22. Florida Gators
2022 Future QB ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future offense ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future defense ranking: 21
2021 Future team ranking: 8

Scouting the Gators: Florida is the type of program that could surge in these rankings as soon as 2023. There’s always talent in Gainesville, and coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] looks like a smart hire for a program that hasn’t made the CFP and last won the SEC in 2008, the Gators’ most recent national championship. But an unexpected transition — no one pegged [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] to be fired at this time last year — could lead to a down year or two, especially in the improving SEC East Division. The biggest immediate question is the offense and whether dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] will provide a consistent spark. Richardson must show greater accuracy and fewer mistakes in the pass game, but he has sophomore eligibility and room to grow under Napier.

Florida also received some QB insurance in Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]. Running back could become a multiyear strength. [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] followed Napier from Louisiana to Florida after a 12-touchdown season as a freshman in 2021. Johnson leads a sophomore group that includes [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright [/autotag]and [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag]. Florida also added ESPN 300 recruit [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] leads a young wide receiver group with opportunities to shine. The Gators need sophomores [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] to stay healthy, or someone else to emerge. They return two veteran tight ends in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] but need options for 2023 and 2024. Offensive line has some concerns, especially depth at tackle, but returns junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] and some other interior pieces. Florida has a 2023 commitment from [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated center in the class.

The defense has fewer immediate questions. Florida returns proven players such as safety [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag], end [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. and tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag]. Both Cox and Dexter could play multiple seasons and lead a line that needs others to emerge this fall, including sophomore end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag]. Florida could become a back-to-front defense in Napier’s first few seasons, as the secondary returns Dean and sophomores [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at safety, and talented young cornerbacks such as [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., an ESPN top-50 recruit who appeared in every game as a true freshman. [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated safety and No. 18 overall recruit, headlined Napier’s first class. Seniors [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] lead a linebacker group that will look to build long-term depth this season. [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] has sophomore eligibility, and Florida added ESPN 300 linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] in the 2022 recruiting class.

Despite just making the top 25 list by a few spots, the future is beginning to look bright again in Gainesville. Napier and Co. have done a great job on the recruiting front so far, and once the new regime has its plans for the future fully implemented, the Swamp should once again be a favorable destination for the best in the business.

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Coveted safety wants to take an official visit to Florida this summer

Florida coaches Billy Naper and Patrick Toney told three-star safety Bryce Thornton to keep coming back to visit.

Three-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] didn’t have the best first visit to Florida as it was rushed because he was with his 7-on-7 team and they wanted to see more than one school in a day. However, it didn’t keep Thornton from coming back. He made it to the Swamp for the second time this past weekend and told 247Sports that he wants to take an official visit here this summer.

One of his favorite parts of this weekend’s visit was seeing the team partake in its second scrimmage of the spring. Florida co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] sees Thornton as nickel in his defense, so he spent a good chunk of the scrimmage watching [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag], [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag].

Thornton thinks he would be a good fit in the Gators’ defense and likes the idea of playing in the box and blitzing sometimes or playing more outside.

During his visit, he said he spent the most time around Toney and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. Thornton said they told him to keep coming back to campus and keep working hard. They also liked how hard he plays on film.

Thornton plans to drop his list of top five schools on April 24, and the Gators have a good shot of making it due to the relationships he has built with people around the program. He added that he wants to have a decision made by the start of his senior season.

So looking ahead to official visits, he hopes to take some in the summer and plans to use one to see Florida again this summer.

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Gators get this 4-star CB scheduled for Orange and Blue Game visit

Four-star cornerback Sharif Denson will be in attendance for Florida’s Orange and Blue Game on April 14.

Florida reeled in one Bartram Trail cornerback back in 2018 in [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag]. This cycle the Gators are trying to do it again by pulling four-star [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who currently sits high on coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]’s board.

Denson told Gators Online on Tuesday that he will visit the Swamp again for Florida’s Orange and Blue game on April 14. Denson is ranked as the 160th-best player overall and the 19th-best cornerback, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

He last visited the Gators on March 3 and has visited Texas A&M and Ohio State over the past month. Florida made a strong first impression on him during his first trip to Gainesville under the new coaching staff.

Denson said he enjoyed dissecting film with multiple defensive coaches and his one-on-one time with Napier.

Even though he is considered a cornerback, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] envisions Denson playing multiple roles in his secondary.

He currently holds offers from the schools previously mentioned along with Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee.

However, Florida holds an advantage because his parents both graduated from the University of Florida.

“They definitely added themselves in and maybe solidified a top spot,” Denson said after last month’s visit. “They didn’t say anything about an offer, but I mean, they were asking what they have to do to get me here, so I guess it’s a given. It was great; I loved the new staff. They are going up for sure.”

The Gators have some targets higher on their board than Denson that they sit in a good spot with like [autotag]AJ Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag]. So he may be a backup option if one of their top targets chooses to go elsewhere.

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