Projecting the Florida Gators 2020 Fall Camp Safeties Depth Chart
After losing strong safety Jeawon Taylor to graduation at the end of last year, the Gators will return three seniors who will be ready to make an instant impact on a talent-filled Florida defense.
With the backend returning three experienced pieces, where do the incoming freshmen sit, and at what positions will the seniors play? You can also check out our depth chart projections for Florida's quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers, and cornerbacks entering the 2020 season.
Free Safety
1. Shawn Davis
At the starting free safety position should be Shawn Davis, the 5-11, 185 pound senior out of Miami, Florida. This should come as no surprise as Davis racked up the most amount of snaps (195) out of anyone at free safety for the Gators last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Davis is a rangy safety who can make a legitimate impact in coverage, seen by his elite 37.8 passer rating allowed in coverage a year ago (PFF). On top of being a factor in coverage, the free safety is able to play sideline to sideline and lay the hammer when necessary. Davis' ball skills are adequate, allowing him to make big plays in big games, such as his one hand snag versus Auburn and his two interceptions in the 2019 comeback win on the road at Kentucky.
Although Davis had some outstanding moments and contributed to multiple wins in 2019, there are concerns such as his reliability as the last line of defense. Davis got caught peering into the backfield and taking bad pursuit angles in multiple games last season. Regardless, Davis' combination of experience and potential is the reason he should see a majority of Florida's reps as a free safety in 2020. With an impressive senior season at Florida, Davis could sneak his way into a spot on an NFL roster come 2021.
2. Mordecai McDaniel
The 6-1, 195 pound safety was Florida's second addition at the position in their 2020 class, hailing from the prestigious St. John's High School in Washington D.C. McDaniel, a high school track star, was a late addition to the Gators class after flipping from SEC rival Tennessee just days before signing day.
The speedster has all of the physical tools to play both safety positions, as his game speed is up to par for what you'd expect from free safety. McDaniel also played a good amount of cornerback at St. Johns, so his coverage skills have already been put to the test. Based on his speed and coverage background, McDaniel should fit the backup role to Davis as a free safety for 2020, although, there will surely be a rotation between veterans at both spots.
3. Quincy Lenton
Across four seasons at Florida, Lenton has seen only 37 defensive snaps, 23 of them coming in the box this past season at strong safety. To balance the chart out, he moves to free safety here where he has some reps under his belt as well, however, Lenton shouldn't be expected to contribute much more than on special teams where he played in multiple phases last year.
Strong Safety
1. Donovan Stiner
After a bit of a rough beginning to the 2019 season, Donovan Stiner found himself playing significantly better by the end of the season. Although his physical attributes aren't the greatest, Stiner is a very cerebral player and understands how and where the ball is going and makes plays by being in the right place at the right time.
Because of his slightly bigger frame at 6-1, 203 pounds, Stiner is more suited to play in the box compared to Davis. Throughout 2019, both Davis and Stiner saw time at SS due to the safety rotation, with Stiner's snaps outweighing Davis' in the box. With the trajectories of each player and their strengths and weaknesses, it makes sense to put Davis, a better coverage safety, at free and keep Stiner, a bigger frame with lesser closing speed, in the box as a strong safety.
Although Stiner has his knocks, he is very experienced in Todd Grantham's scheme and will be able to have an effect on SEC offenses throughout 2020. Throughout his time at UF he has made memorable plays time and time again and will continue to trend up as the 2020 season rolls around
2. Brad Stewart Jr.
Stewart, the senior out of New Orleans, La., had a disappointing junior season after his stellar sophomore stint. Plagued from an early suspension, Stewart's snap count and production both dipped in 2019 while Florida rotated Davis, Stiner, and Taylor in more frequently.
In a similar fashion to the last season, it would not shock me to see Davis and Stewart on the field at the same time, especially in passing situations. While it didn't show up on the box score in 2019, Stewart has proven his worth as a clutch coverage safety in the underneath game before and looks to make a bigger impact there moving forward.
3. Rashad Torrence II
Freshman Rashad Torrence has been on campus for about eight months now and has begun to dissect the playbook after his longtime commitment to the Gators became official in December.
Torrence displays excellent coverage skills and has reacted well when the ball is thrown his way. Similar to Davis, Torrence is not afraid to lay the wood on unsuspecting offensive players. Torrence reacts well to the run and makes sure not to overpursue when attacking the ball carrier. He breaks down and reads the offense quickly, reacting with speed and control, but still pursues with impressive strength.
However, while he's been on campus longer and could have a shot at the No. 2 spot behind Davis, Torrence's long speed might make him better suited to play strong safety rather than free at this point.
All in all, expect defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and safeties coach Ron English to implement a similar rotation to the one they put into effect last year, with Davis, Stiner, and Stewart taking the majority of the reps unless Torrence and/or McDaniel are ready to play.
