RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesFlorida football kicks off fall camp this week, and a position that has seen a lot of turnover across the Gators' roster has been the safety position, as well as the STAR nickel cornerback room.
The Gators are returning five players on the back side of the defense from last season; however, the program does have four transfers and three freshmen joining the room led by senior Bryce Thornton. The back end of the defense is also reeling from the loss of seven players across the safeties and nickelbacks.
Thornton has been one of the leaders of this Gators defense for each of the last two seasons, totaling 97 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, 13 defended passes, two forced fumbles, and a sub-60 percent coverage completion percentage over the course of 22 games and 18 starts. Thornton has grown into one of the coaching staff's favorite players since Jon Sumrall became the head coach, hence why he received the No. 1 jersey.
Alfonzo Allen Jr. and Lagonza Hayward were also key contributors last season for the Gators, emerging as top physical presences in the secondary. Allen Jr., a former walk-on transfer from Baylor, came into his own during the second half of last season, totaling 34 tackles in five games and 15 in one game against Mississippi State.
Hayward was a former blue-chip prospect in 2025 and was a key addition to the defense as a freshman. Across eight games as a freshman, Hayward put forth 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one sack as a rotational piece in both the nickel and strong safety slots. He also pressured the quarterback over 12 times, showcasing his versatility.
Drake Stubbs and Brayden Slade are two players in the secondary who saw very limited opportunity, with Slade redshirting after appearing in only three games last season and Stubbs, who made just two appearances defensively but was part of the kickoff coverage unit.
The Gators made seven new additions to the room, most notably being DJ Coleman.
Coleman has over a thousand defensive snaps from his time at Baylor, where he showcased his versatility by playing deep, in the box, and starting at nickel corner. Last season was a career year for him, posting lockdown numbers with 2 interceptions while allowing 7.1 yards per catch.
Cam Dooley was a transfer from Kentucky, where he played under new Florida defensive coordinator Brad White. While at Kentucky, Dooley appeared in 24 games and started three of them in two seasons, recording 34 tackles with two for loss, one interception, one forced fumble, and, per PFF, a 45.8 NFL passer rating allowed when targeted in coverage.
The Florida Gators also added Elijah Owens from junior college and freshmen Kaiden Hall, Dylan Purter, and Eric Parks Jr. from high school to bolster the safety and STAR nickel cornerback room.
Florida's safety and STAR nickel cornerbacks room
Alfonzo Allen Jr., redshirt senior, safety
Bryce Thornton, senior, safety
DJ Coleman, senior, safety
Brayden Slade, redshirt junior, safety
Cam Dooley, junior, safety
Lagonza Hayward, sophomore, safety
Drake Stubbs, sophomore, safety
Kaiden Hall, freshman, safety
Eric Parks Jr., freshman, safety
Kanye Clark, redshirt junior, nickel
Elijah Owens, sophomore, nickel
Dylan Purter, freshman, nickel
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Breaking down the Gators' safeties and nickelbacks ahead of fall camp
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