Florida Gators Safety Competition

Matt Ealm and Josh Evans turned into stars last season and were a big part of the defensive's success last season. However, both of them are gone and they need to be replaced. Jaylen Watkins is the favorite to replace Ealm. Watkins played primarily cornerback in his first three seasons, therefore it will be hard to envision him filling Ealm's shoes, but I think he can play well. He had three interceptions last season, but the move to safety could maximize his ball skills. He is also a very good tackler, he finished with 39 last season and rarely missed a tackle. Watkins will be a very good starter this season because he adds that ball hawking presence that the Gators lacked last season.

Valdez Showers will likely be his backup. He is going to be a redshirt sophomore next season, so he can afford to sit a season behind Watkins before he takes the starting role. Showers was highly recruited coming out of high school and he has a lot of potential that he has yet to fulfill. I think he has the potential to be a good starter, but he has yet to play significant time on defense and has seen most of his action on special teams.

Marcus Maye and Jabari Gorman are neck and neck for the other safety spot. Maye is very talented and was the number five safety in the country, coming out of college, but he redshirted in his freshman season. He is a very balanced player, good in coverage and against the run. He may not be as good as Ealm was, but he could get very close to his level.

Gorman is entering his junior season, but he has not received a lot of playing time in his two seasons. He is better against the pass than the run, but with Watkins starting at the other safety spot, they will need someone who is solid against the run and can come into the box. I think Maye will end up winning this battle. He came into his own during spring camp and I think he will continue to play well enough to win the battle.

Maye and Watkins will make a good starting duo. Maye is good against the pass and the run, but he has the ability to go into the box if need be. Watkins is also good at tackling, but he is not the type of guy to go into the box. His real talent lies in his pass coverage and at safety he should be able to maximize that ability. There will be some drop off in playing level after Evans and Ealm left, but it should not be too bad.