GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida defensive backs have taken pride in the name “DBU,” and they will look to once again claim the nickname this upcoming season.

After CJ McWilliams' season ending injury and John Huggins' dismissal, the Gators are now thin in the secondary. Florida head coach Dan Mullen and the Gators will rely on junior Chris Henderson and redshirt sophomore Marco Wilson, who’s coming off an ACL tear in 2018, to help anchor a secondary that doesn’t possess many starts.

“We’re feeling good. We’re not worried about depth right now," Wilson told reporters on Thursday. "Everything’s handled.”

In addition to Wilson and Henderson, Florida returns a number of familiar faces in the secondary, including: Trey Dean, Donovan Stiner, Shawn Davis, Jaewon Taylor, Quincy Lenton, and Brad Stewart. However, UF has also added a group of talented freshmen with Chester Kimbrough, Kaiir Elam, and Jaydon Hill entering the fold this year.

“They’re doing really good: Chester, Kaiir, and Jaydon are falling in really well and learning the playbook," said Wilson. "[Cornerbacks] Coach [Torrian] Gray is helping those guys. They’re doing really well so far in camp.”

"They've progressed a lot," wide receiver Van Jefferson told Gators Territory. "Man, Chester. Chester's a really good; he's going to be really good. Him and Kaiir and Jaydon, they're going to be really good. I think those guys, CJ and Marco, they're going to elevate their game. I know when they get in this season they're going to make some big plays for us. They've been doing good, but Chester's really good. Chester's really good.”

“He just likes to play football. Simple as that," said Wilson about Kimbrough. "Every day he goes out there and enjoys playing and tries to get to the ball, make plays. That just makes him a standout player.

"[Elam and Hill] are physical guys. They like to get their hands on the receiver and they’re going to play the ball in the air. They're pretty good.”

Wilson and Henderson know a thing or two about playing as freshmen. They both have had an impact on the unit during fall camp with their leadership and experience.

“CJ and Marco have been really consistent, really proud of the tempo they’re setting, the tone they’re setting for the rest of the group,” explained Gray on the current play of the veteran corners. “As we continue to go along, they’re [the freshmen] getting a little better, they’re starting to understand it, but, it’s something that they don’t know until they get more experience just yet.”

With the Gators needing to fill in holes in the secondary, Elam could be called upon early. But Gray believes that the freshman group still has ways to go.

“Game experience is one thing, but learning how to practice, learning how to prepare in the meetings, learning how to take your notes from the meeting room to the field, all those things,” explained Gray. “We’re throwing some volume at them as far as what the defenses do, but it’s enough overlap to where we need to be more consistent.

“It’s going to be the same story, Kaiir, Chester, Jaydon. They’re all freshmen. They’ve all got to learn attention to detail and all the things it needs to be able to play in the SEC.”

Though Elam has taken most of the headlines, junior Trey Dean thinks that all three freshmen are making a name for themselves and making the strides to help put the secondary in a better position.

"At practice they go out there and they're willing to compete,” stated Dean. “Half of football is mental. They've got the mental game. Once you get the mental part of it, now you can see, 'Can they go to the next play?' 'OK, I got beat this play, can I go to the next play?' But mentally I think they're ready to play."

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