Florida football: 5 questions the Gators must answer in 2020

4. Does the secondary rise to the occasion?

As mentioned, the Florida football defense was once again the team’s calling card in the 2019 season. The Gators finished seventh in the country in scoring defense while allowing the fourth-fewest touchdowns in the nation as well. But one year after losing the team leaders on that side of the ball, they need new players to step up in the 2020 campaign.

On the back end in the secondary, Florida saw the departure of cornerback C.J. Henderson, a first-round pick who went No. 9 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. There is rarely replacing a player with his natural man coverage ability but the Gators do have some talented players that are ready to come into the limelight at the position.

While Marco Wilson is the more veteran player on the roster and a valuable piece in his own right, the key figure in the Florida secondary might be sophomore Kaiir Elam. As a true freshman, Elam registered two interceptions and was second on the team, trailing only Henderson, in passes defended with four. Meanwhile, a pair of seniors in Shawn Davis and Brad Stewart Jr. are locking down the two safety spots.

Florida has a longstanding tradition of producing and developing high-end defensive backs and that’s not likely to change. At the same time, if the Gators have hopes of winning the SEC, they need their defense to stay at the level it was at last season while the offense takes a step forward. The secondary playing at the level they did a year ago but now without Henderson will be a critical part of that.