Trey

Dean

Dean has been a contributor for the Gators since he got to campus in 2018. This year, despite Florida’s overall defensive meltdown, Dean (6'3/200) stepped up a bit, especially down the stretch of the season. Dean finished the year 34 tackles, a pick, and a sack. The decision to stay makes sense seeing as Dean was likely a Day 3 pick if he came out, but he should have a nice opportunity to boost his stock as a senior.

Dean has narrowed his list of finalists down to Penn State, Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Michigan and UCLA. He will be taking visits to Notre Dame and Michigan over the next few days. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder ranks as Rivals’ No. 174 overall prospect for the 2018 cycle. Scout.com notes that he possesses “great awareness and range on the back-end of the defense,” adding that "[h]e not only has very good ball skills, but he plays with physicality on the third level.” On the more critical side of the ledger, the outlet would like to see him tighten up in one-on-one coverage and bulk up a bit.

Dean had previously verbally committed to Tennessee, but opened his recruiting back up two weeks ago. Rivals ranks him as the 186th best player in the class, with 247 Sports calling him the 22nd best safety in the country. ESPN calls him a physical player who can handle press coverage, but also mentions that he’ll have to work on his redirection skills.

Dean (6'2/180) was seriously considering a decommitment when Tennessee fired HC Butch Jones midway through November, but he held off for several weeks to get a lay of the land before officially reopening matters. Alabama and Florida should both be considered prime contenders for Dean’s pledge at this juncture. The Hampton, Georgia, native offers a strong level of physicality, but still has work to do in one-on-one coverage (he can be a little loose at times). Rivals ranks him as the No. 186 overall prospect in the 2018 class.