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Tabor will need to lead inexperienced Florida secondary in '16
Jalen Tabor, it's time to step up to the plate.
Safety Keanu Neal and corner Vernon Hargreaves III both recently announced their intentions to enter the 2016 NFL Draft. There's a real chance safety Marcus Maye could follow suit, as well.
Assuming this scenario unfolds, Tabor -- a soon-to-be junior -- will be the unquestioned leader in the secondary from an experience standpoint.
Last week #Gators Jalen Tabor said, '“It would be big to get those guys (Neal/Maye) back. But even if they don’t come back we’ll be fine.”
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) January 6, 2016
The Washington D.C. native possesses the physical tools to truly be a Thorpe Award winner as a junior in 2016. Tabor has exceptional length and height for the position, and his ball-skills are superlative -- as evidenced by a team-leading 14 pass-breakups in 2015. He also tied for the team lead with four interceptions.
Even if Maye decides to return in '16, half of the starting secondary will be gone. Now a veteran within the group, Tabor will have to step up from a leadership standpoint -- working with younger players and demonstrating quality communication on the field.
With the aforementioned players gone (including Brian Poole), look for Quincy Wilson, Nick Washington, and potentially Kylan Johnson to be thrust into significant roles.
