Jaylen Watkins spent his offseason reflecting on what he did wrong.
During a season in which the Gators finished 7-6, Watkins started eight games. He finished ninth on the team with 34 tackles and third with five passes broken up.
Still, coaches challenged him because he wasn’t physical at the line of scrimmage; they wanted him to become stronger.
Despite decent numbers, Watkins struggled at times in coverage, most notably against Georgia.
That game, he was beat for a touchdown on a fourth-down fade route in the third quarter and then flagged for pass interference on a crucial fourth-down play in the fourth as Florida capped a four-game skid and fell to .500.
“My low point was probably the Georgia game,” Watkins said. “I could have made a few better plays that could have put us in a better situation in the game, but I didn’t.”
While Watkins came on strong toward the end of season — he pointed to a four-tackle effort in the Florida State game that included a tackle for a 12-yard loss as his best performance of the year — he said it was tough trying to adjust to a new defensive scheme under coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn at the beginning of the season.
Watkins said the learning curve made him a step slower and caused him to think too much on defense, at times affecting his performance.
So Watkins spent his offseason in the film room studying tape of 2011 and in the weight room trying to add muscle and become the physical cornerback Muschamp wants him to be.
“I’m trying to separate myself as far as being physical and trying to create turnovers,” Watkins said.
“Those are my two biggest things that I didn’t do last year. At times, I wasn’t physical, and at times I was right there and didn’t make the play. That’s all I focus on now, and it’s starting to turn out good for me.”
Indeed it has.
Through the first week of spring practice, Watkins has stood out to coaches and teammates.
He also impressed spectators during the Gators’ only two open practices of the offseason. During the weekend sessions, Watkins intercepted passes and made plays while jamming receivers at the line in an attempt to separate himself in a crowded secondary that includes sophomores Cody Riggs and Marcus Roberson.
“That’s what we need is a corner,” safety Josh Evans said. “We need a shutdown corner. Florida is known for cornerbacks, so yeah, [Watkins] definitely has the potential to do that.”
Watkins said he is trying to distance himself from other defensive backs by focusing more on takeaways, and he isn’t the only one.
Despite ranking eighth nationally in total defense, the Gators forced just 14 turnovers (eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries) in 2011, which ranked tied for 112th out of 120 FBS teams.
“We watch plays from last year, and it’s kind of disappointing when the ball is hitting us right in the hands and we’re dropping it,” Watkins said.
Florida’s coaches have put an added emphasis on takeaways this spring after lackluster results last season.
According to Evans and Watkins, the results are showing when they watch film, as they see every defender trying to reach in and strip the ball on any given play. Wide receiver Andre Debose added that the defensive backs have been “pests,” constantly trying to rip the ball and force a fumble.
“When you watch film all you see is guys trying to rip the ball out because that was our biggest problem last year,” Watkins said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a year that low in turnovers.”
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
Senior safety Josh Evans (24) said junior Jaylen Watkins (14) has the potential to be the shutdown cornerback the Gators’ defense lacked last season.
