Florida leaned into the winter transfer portal to upgrade its roster for the second offseason in a row, securing a dozen college football veterans to bolster the Gators’ roster entering the 2024 offseason. All Gators is projecting roles for each player, beginning with defensive back Trikweze Bridges. Bridges, a rising sixth-year senior, transferred to Florida from Oregon on Dec. 18, 2023, to utilize his final season of college eligibility with the Gators. He was a target of priority for UF in the portal, one of the first the program hosted for a visit after the winter transfer window opened in early December. He offers UF ample experience to put to use on the back end of its defense. Although his playing time diminished in 2023 compared to the year before, Bridges collected 1,190 defensive snaps over 17 starts and 47 total appearances during his time with the Ducks.

Bridges accumulated 93 tackles with 2.5 for loss, four interceptions, 13 defended passes and two forced fumbles at Oregon, allowing a completion percentage of 57% (57-of-100) in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. However, while over 1,000 of his reps were logged at outside cornerback, Bridges is expected to return to his original position of safety in the Gators’ secondary, a spot in which he starred over four varsity seasons in high school one state over from Florida. Bridges’ 13 pick-sixes and 36 interceptions during his prep career at Lanett (Ala.) High respectively set and tied all-time state records. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the state of Alabama in 2018 by the Opelika-Auburn News, after tallying nine interceptions and 89 tackles as a senior.

“Height, weight, speed, ton of production. The guy has played corner but has got some position flexibility. He can play safety,” Napier said about Bridges on Dec. 20. “Very intelligent. Was on the leadership council at Oregon. He’s got one year of eligibility, and I think looking to create some more value for himself a little bit closer to home, being from Lanett, Alabama. So, really excited about the flexibility that he offers and experience that he has.” It will be infused into a secondary undergoing a significant makeover this offseason. Bridges was the first of four defensive back transfers Florida has acquired since December, followed by safeties DJ Douglas from Tulane and Asa Turner from Washington, and freshman cornerback Jameer Grimsley from Alabama.

They couple with three class of 2024 signees, cornerback Teddy Foster Jr., and safeties Josiah Davis and Gregory Smith III. Following a 60-tackle, Freshman All-American campaign in his 2023 orange and blue debut, rising sophomore Jordan Castell figures to have one of Florida’s starting safety spots locked down entering the offseason. Who occupies the role opposite Castell remains to be seen. Bryce Thornton, Castell’s classmate, made four starts and 12 appearances as a freshman and performed admirably, posting 34 tackles with 3.5 for loss. He returns to the position alongside senior RJ Moten, who filled a depth function in 2023 following his transfer from Michigan.

The quintet of Bridges, Douglas, Turner, Thornton and Moten will likely contend for the first-team position next to Castell, and for playing time at STAR nickel corner alongside another contributor from the 2023 recruiting class, Sharif Denson. None should be ruled out from carving out a part in the secondary, though, given the versatility of their talents and the UF coaching staff’s tendency to create rotations at positions of strength. Bridges’ general coverage prowess and past as a ball-hawking safety, for example, makes him a candidate for considerable playing time on passing downs or obvious passing situations.

Following a season in which Florida recorded an SEC-worst three interceptions, Bridges’ knack for creating turnovers on the back end could be advantageous as he looks to reclaim starting status in his final season of college football, so long as his re-acclimation at safety goes smoothly.