Young DB to Return to Florida Gators in 2026

The Florida Gators are set to retain a young defensive back who play most of the back-half of the season.

The Florida Gators are set to retain a young defensive back who play most of the back-half of the season. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Florida Gators defensive back J’Vari Flowers is set to stay in Gainesville for another season, the talented rising sophomore announced on social media on Tuesday. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

A product of Northwestern (Fla.) High School, he played in all 12 games this past year. Through the early parts of the 2025 campaign, he mostly saw action on special teams. However, some injuries to other Gators' cornerbacks led to reps opening up for him.

In total, he made 17 tackles, four pass breakups and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. 

No Guts No Glory🔒🐊 @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/cn0rY1EkPq

— J’Vari “Jrock” Flowers (@jfl4wers) December 30, 2025

His best game of the season came against Mississippi State. Flowers was one of three freshmen defensive backs to be handed an increased role that day, taking his chance well. He finished with three tackles, two pass breakups and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. Moreover, he earned a team-high 78.5 defensive grade against the Bulldogs, according to PFF. 

Then, just two games later, Flowers earned his first career start at defensive back on the road at Ole Miss. He recorded two tackles versus the Rebels, one of which was solo. 

In the final contest of the season, Flowers made his second career start and played the most snaps of any defensive player, logging 66 snaps against Florida State. The then-true freshman recorded four tackles and a pass breakup in the win over the Seminoles. 

Flowers was a consensus four-star on On3, 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. Furthermore, according to On3, ESPN and Rivals, he was a consensus top-90 recruit, ranking as high as the No. 55 overall recruit in the 2025 class by Rivals. 

He was a late addition, though, to the 2025 class for the Gators. Flowers originally had been part of the 2026 cycle before reclassifying and enrolling a year early with Florida. 

Retaining Flowers is important for the Gators' 2026 season. Having already lost six defensive backs from the 2025 roster, they could not afford to lose any more. Additionally, Flowers showed tons of upside in his first year at the college level. 

Florida is expected to lose a number of players to the portal once it opens on Jan. 2. Five of them were starters during the 2025 season, with starting quarterback DJ Lagway, starting tight end Hayden Hansen, defensive lineman Michai Boireau and defensive backs Sharif Denson and Jordan Castell all announcing their intentions. 

Several other notable Gators plan to enter the portal. Receivers Eugene Wilson III, Aidan Mizell, Naeshaun Montgomery and Tank Hawkins, defensive back Aaron Gates and linebacker Grayson Howard are all potentially looking for new homes for next season. 

The most noteworthy name for the Gators, though, is star freshman edge Jayden Woods. He was announced to be a portal entry on Monday. 

Despite the losses, the Gators have retained some of their top talents, as well. 

Legacies Myles Graham and Vernell Brown III both have re-signed with the program. Promising defensive linemen Jeremiah McCloud and Joseph Mbatchou have also each committed themselves to Gainesville. Rising sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones revealed his 2026 plans on Tuesday, announcing he will be back in the Orange and Blue next season. These are just a few. 

Florida Gators on SI is updating portal activity for Florida here.