​Florida’s safety and STAR rooms underwent significantly more turnover than the cornerback position this offseason. However, the Gators still return one of the most experienced players on the defense to anchor the back end.Bryce Thornton is back after starting 11 games last season, while transfers DJ Coleman and Kanye Clark earned the other two starting jobs on Florida’s Week 1 depth chart. Behind them, the Gators have a mix of experienced transfers, returning young players and freshmen competing for rotational roles.Safeties coach Chris Collins leads the group, having followed defensive coordinator Brad White from Kentucky to Gainesville. Florida lost longtime starter Jordan Castell and starting STAR Sharif Denson to the transfer portal, but rebuilt the room with several players who already have significant college experience.Here’s a closer look at Florida’s safeties and STAR nickelbacks entering the 2026 season.Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews:QuarterbacksRunning BacksWide ReceiversTight EndsOffensive TacklesInterior Offensive LineDefensive Line/JACKLinebackersCornerbacksStarting Safety: No. 1 Bryce Thornton (Sr.)SeasonGPGSTacklesTFLSacksINTPD2023124343.50.5012024107411.50.03620251111563.01.017Career33221318.01.5414Thornton enters his fourth season at Florida as the clear anchor of a secondary that underwent significant turnover during the offseason.He started all 11 games he appeared in last season and finished second on the team with 56 tackles while adding three tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, seven passes defended, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Thornton also returned one of those recoveries for a 37-yard touchdown in the season opener.PFF charted Thornton for a team-high 681 defensive snaps and gave him a 78.3 overall grade. He earned an 80.2 tackling grade, 74.9 coverage grade and an 88.9 pass-rush grade while generating nine pressures on only 20 pass-rush snaps.Thornton’s value also comes from how many places Florida can use him. He logged 291 snaps at free safety, 230 in the box and 142 in the slot last season, giving defensive coordinator Brad White flexibility to move him around depending on the matchup.That experience and versatility helped Thornton earn Florida’s No. 1 jersey this offseason, an honor Sumrall said comes with expectations both on the field and as a leader.“I expect both those guys to be good players,” Sumrall said of Thornton and Vernell Brown III. “Just as importantly, I expect those guys to be great leaders. And you’re not going to get that jersey number here without probably being an explosive playmaker on offense and without being a consistent, steady leader on defense, which Bryce has been.”Starting Safety: No. 33 DJ Coleman (Sr.)* = BaylorSeasonGPGSTacklesTFLINTPD2023*110150.0022024*121281.5032025*1211466.526Career3512898.0211Coleman gives Florida another veteran presence alongside Thornton after spending three seasons at Baylor.He broke into the starting lineup full