- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,448
- 59,447
How much does this kid play this year? It looks like he'll get most of his PT at Safety, but was recruited as a CB. Does he eventually become a CB?
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High expectations for freshman DB Chauncey Gardner at Florida
http://gridironnow.com/freshman-db-chauncey-gardner-florida/
One thing to like about young players who arrive on campus with big expectations is that they seem to take ownership of their positions sooner. At least that’s the hope. In the case of Florida freshman Chauncey Gardner, he not only seems to be taking ownership of his position at Florida, he also has no problem with defending the Gators’ “DBU” moniker.
When Another School Claim DBU ….. pic.twitter.com/QqssvAxLLT
— Chauncey Gardner Jr. (@StillDat_) June 1, 2016
Gardner recently took to social media to let his followers know that Florida will uphold its status as the SEC’s real “DBU.” The debate is custom-built for the internet age, and it will come to a head when Florida hosts LSU on October 8. Whoever wins the game gets the edge in the conversation, regardless of secondary play.
All that said, how good can Gardner be in his first season at Florida? He’s built similar to Vernon Hargreaves and Jalen Tabor at 5 feet 11 and 205 pounds. Can he have a freshman season as productive as Tabor’s? Tabor had 31 tackles, an interception, eight pass breakups, two sacks, and four tackles for loss as a true freshman in 2014, when he was a part-time starter. Tabor (and Hargreaves the season before) lived up to his five-star recruiting ranking as a freshman.
Gardner, from Cocoa (Fla.) High, was a four-star recruit, but still was a national top-50 player overall and considered one of the top five cornerbacks in the nation; thus, expectations are high. There also appears to be ample opportunity for playing time – but at safety, not corner. Gardner saw most of his time this spring at safety, and while Marcus Maye returns as a starting safety, there is one open spot with Keanu Neal’s departure. Juniors Marcell Harris and Nick Washington likely will vie with Gardner for that spot.
Gardner was one of two early enrollees in the secondary, and coach Jim McElwain said during the spring that Gardner and cornerback McArthur Burnett impressed him. “The good thing I saw was that it wasn’t too big for either one of them,” McElwain said. “They were out there competing and having fun. They weren’t a step slow. They were reacting, which really means they came here on a mission, and that’s good to see.”
As with Gardner, Maye – who is expected to be one of the nation’s tops safeties this season – is from Brevard County; Maye is from Melbourne (Fla.) Holy Trinity. He was impressed with Gardner during the spring.
“He’s real aggressive,” Maye told reporters. “You can put him out wide at corner or back deep at safety or in the slot. He’s very versatile. You can put him anywhere. He’s aggressive. He’s a great-special teams guy.”
If Gardner can continue his aggressive play and learn from Tabor and Maye – as well as secondary coach Torrian Gray and coordinator Geoff Collins – his outlook could be exceptional. He doesn’t need to be Vernon Hargreaves or Jalen Tabor. He just needs to be Chauncey Gardner. So far, that’s worked out well for him.
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High expectations for freshman DB Chauncey Gardner at Florida
http://gridironnow.com/freshman-db-chauncey-gardner-florida/
One thing to like about young players who arrive on campus with big expectations is that they seem to take ownership of their positions sooner. At least that’s the hope. In the case of Florida freshman Chauncey Gardner, he not only seems to be taking ownership of his position at Florida, he also has no problem with defending the Gators’ “DBU” moniker.
When Another School Claim DBU ….. pic.twitter.com/QqssvAxLLT
— Chauncey Gardner Jr. (@StillDat_) June 1, 2016
Gardner recently took to social media to let his followers know that Florida will uphold its status as the SEC’s real “DBU.” The debate is custom-built for the internet age, and it will come to a head when Florida hosts LSU on October 8. Whoever wins the game gets the edge in the conversation, regardless of secondary play.
All that said, how good can Gardner be in his first season at Florida? He’s built similar to Vernon Hargreaves and Jalen Tabor at 5 feet 11 and 205 pounds. Can he have a freshman season as productive as Tabor’s? Tabor had 31 tackles, an interception, eight pass breakups, two sacks, and four tackles for loss as a true freshman in 2014, when he was a part-time starter. Tabor (and Hargreaves the season before) lived up to his five-star recruiting ranking as a freshman.
Gardner, from Cocoa (Fla.) High, was a four-star recruit, but still was a national top-50 player overall and considered one of the top five cornerbacks in the nation; thus, expectations are high. There also appears to be ample opportunity for playing time – but at safety, not corner. Gardner saw most of his time this spring at safety, and while Marcus Maye returns as a starting safety, there is one open spot with Keanu Neal’s departure. Juniors Marcell Harris and Nick Washington likely will vie with Gardner for that spot.
Gardner was one of two early enrollees in the secondary, and coach Jim McElwain said during the spring that Gardner and cornerback McArthur Burnett impressed him. “The good thing I saw was that it wasn’t too big for either one of them,” McElwain said. “They were out there competing and having fun. They weren’t a step slow. They were reacting, which really means they came here on a mission, and that’s good to see.”
As with Gardner, Maye – who is expected to be one of the nation’s tops safeties this season – is from Brevard County; Maye is from Melbourne (Fla.) Holy Trinity. He was impressed with Gardner during the spring.
“He’s real aggressive,” Maye told reporters. “You can put him out wide at corner or back deep at safety or in the slot. He’s very versatile. You can put him anywhere. He’s aggressive. He’s a great-special teams guy.”
If Gardner can continue his aggressive play and learn from Tabor and Maye – as well as secondary coach Torrian Gray and coordinator Geoff Collins – his outlook could be exceptional. He doesn’t need to be Vernon Hargreaves or Jalen Tabor. He just needs to be Chauncey Gardner. So far, that’s worked out well for him.
