Florida Football: Bill Napier gets a much needed transfer portal win

RJ Moten, a talented safety from the University of Michigan, has announced his decision to transfer to the University of Florida. The former four-star prospect and son of Gator great Ron Moten, steps into a position of need for Florida football and brings much-needed experience and depth to the safety position.

After spending three seasons with the Wolverines, Moten entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 24th. During his time at Michigan, he appeared in 29 games and started in 15 of them as a safety. Moten accumulated 65 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.

Florida Football: The Pathway to Gainesville

Moten saw his playing time reduce throughout the 2022 season as he shared the field with Rod Moore and Makari Paige. Both Moore and Paige are slated to return, which led Moten to seek a new opportunity elsewhere.

Moten announced his decision on Instagram. The post featured photos of him in a Gator uniform and with his father, a former Gator from 1987 to 1991, along with the caption, “This one hit deeper, let’s do it.”

As is the norm, Billy Napier acknowledged the transfer on Twitter with a sunglasses emoji. The addition of Moten fills a need in the safety room after the departure of 2022 starters Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II to the NFL. Sophomores Kamari Wilson and Miguel Mitchell were promoted to first-team roles this spring, but the duo’s combined experience was limited.

Napier had stated during Spring practice that he wanted to sign another safety out of the portal. With the addition, Moten will compete for a starting spot in fall camp, bringing valuable depth to the safety unit.

The commitment is also big for Napier as grumblings about his handling of the transfer portal were starting to grow. Landing a potential starter should quell some of that uprising for now.