Young defenders will get opportunity to show off talents

While the majority of the Florida football team is available and able to play in Monday’s Orange Bowl against Virginia, one big hole is open on defense.

Starting cornerback C.J. Henderson is sitting out the game after declaring for the draft, leaving the opportunity for someone to get extended playing time in the spot opposite Marco Wilson.

“Our guys have always embraced it as an opportunity to get better, an opportunity to handle a challenge,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “Our corners, they’re all young guys. I think they’re excited that they get an opportunity to play now, and the work they’ve put in up until now, they get to go showcase their talents.”

Probably the biggest name among those young guys is freshman Kaiir Elam. The Riviera Beach native and nephew of former Gators safety

Matt Elam has been a steady contributor during his first college football season. He has two of Florida’s 15 interceptions and another three pass breakups. He started this season against Tennessee, Towson, Missouri and Florida State.

“Elam is a guy that got thrown in there out of the young guys first,” Grantham said, “and I think he does a really good job, shows his ability to play the ball in the air and he takes coaching, and I think the thing with all those guys is they’ve taken to coaching and worked hard to develop their skill set, and that’s part of development. It’s very difficult to come in and play at an elite level right off the bat, and with the society that we live in today, sometimes we’re not as patient as we need to be with guys. There is a certain amount of development involved in playing this position or this game, and those guys have worked hard to develop their skill set, so I think they look at it as an opportunity to go showcase their talents and what they can do.”

Wilson said true freshmen Jaydon Hill and Chester Kimbrough have also received extended reps over the past few practices.

“Just getting prepared for what’s coming forward,” Wilson said.

JERSEY SWAPS

The Gators’ coaching staff probably had a little trouble going over the practice film from Friday.

Before the Gators went marching onto the Barry University practice fields for one of their final practices, the players, ever confident yet finding ways to keep loose in the midst of another successful season under coach Dan Mullen, took it upon themselves to switch jerseys in the locker room.

“I was like, ‘We’ve got to all go out at the same time. We can’t go out one by one, they might send us all back in,’ ” linebacker Jonathan Greenard said with a laugh.

Grantham, reflecting on it a day later, fully endorsed the idea, even if it made the coaches’ jobs harder for a day.

“They’re very united and I think they have a really good bond,” Grantham said Saturday. “I think they like playing together. I think that comes from the leadership that we have up top, and it kind of trickles down to guys playing with energy and effort and doing the things they need to do to be good.”

CAMPBELL STAYING

Florida defensive lineman Kyree Campbell said Saturday that he intends to return for his senior season.

“I’ve got to come back, man,” Campbell said. “I just think to better me personally, my skills. Then I know we’re going to have a great team next year and I want to be a part of it.”