100 Days of Florida Football: No. 5 Jalen Tabor

Give them a little time, but cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Vernon Hargreaves III could be the nation’s top lockdown duo. We’ve all seen what Hargreaves can do, but Tabor on the opposite side could be the ultimate compliment. His size, length, form, quickness, instincts, and recovery speed all make him a prototypical corner. Now he’s locked in battle between him, Brian Poole, and fellow freshman Duke Dawson to see who will start the season on the other side of Hargreaves. Even if he doesn’t win the job outright, look for him to get plenty of playing time in the secondary.

The DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area has been a solid pipeline for the Gators recently. CB Joe Haden was one of the first and he ended his career at UF as a unanimous All-American selection and first round draft pick. Tabor’s the latest player to hail from the DMV area, playing his prep football at Friendship Collegiate Academy. He played in all three phases of the game as a cornerback, wide receiver, and kick returner. Although his stats are unknown, Tabor started early and made an impact for the Knights. His sophomore season culminated in him earning The Washington Post‘s first team All-Met, the only sophomore to be on the list. Tabor followed that up with a junior season in which he didn’t allow a single completion. He earned All-Met honors once again and an invite to Nike’s prestigious The Opening, where he proved his worth against other elite rising seniors. Tabor’s senior season cemented his status as one of the top players of the 2014 class. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown on special teams, caught his first TD on offense, and broke up 17 passes while intercepting five. His senior campaign earned him the title of Gatorade Washington D.C. Player of the Year, 247Sports Second Team All-American, and a trip to St. Pete to play in the Under Armour All-American game. Tabor also helped the Friendship Academy to two straight DCSAA AA Championship Games.

With his 6-0, 193 pound size and length, Tabor became the definition of what college coaches were after for cornerback prospects. He’s a excellent run blocker who can help lock half of the field down with his recovery speed, instincts, and reactive quickness. Tabor was Florida’s top-rated and only five-star recruit of the 2014 recruiting class. He came to the Gators ranked as the fourth cornerback, top player from D.C., and 14th overall of the class, according to 247Sports composite rankings. Tabor originally committed to Arizona at the UA All-American game to follow Joe Haden’s little brother and teammate Jonathan Haden. But about a week later, Haden had a change of heart and decided to follow in Joe’s footsteps and go to UF. He’s now wearing the same number five that Haden wore during his phenomenal Gators career. Tabor also considered Alabama and Maryland.

Tabor enrolled early at UF, just days after committing and has been impressing the coaches with his play on the field. He did, however, make a small mistake. Tabor broke a nine month streak in which no Gators football players got arrested, but the matter was handled internally and he’s eligible to play in the season opener. With his length and technique, Tabor will likely end the season opposite Hargreaves as the Gators’ shutdown corners. Who knows? Maybe his career at Florida will mirror another shutdown corner from DMV to wear the No. 5 in Orange and Blue.

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