This Gators safety just received an invite to the NFL Combine

Trey Dean has been starting games for the Gators for four years, but now the NFL is calling.

Safety Trey Dean III hasn’t officially announced that he’ll be moving on from the University of Florida yet, but a post on social media revealing that he received an invitation to the 2022 NFL Combine could be a sign that he intends to head to the pros.

Dean started 11 of Florida’s 12 regular-season games this year after moving over to safety full-time. The Gators defense was embarrassed several times this season, but this was Dean’s best individual year with a career-high 92 tackles and four tackles for loss. Currently, the Florida veteran is pegged as a third-day pick or an undrafted free agent, but a strong performance at the Combine could help his stock rise.

Dean got a chance to play almost immediately as a freshman after Marco Wilson went down with an injury, but position changes and depth at safety kept him from excelling until his senior year. By that time, Dean had become a leader for some of the younger members of the secondary.

If he does accept the invitation and bid farewell to Florida, he’ll leave with 178 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, 20 pass breakups, a forced fumble and 4 interceptions.

The Combine is scheduled for the first week of March and the draft begins on April 28.

[lawrence-related id=66355,64901,66276,66259,66254]

[listicle id=65957]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.