GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Devin Moore’s 2024 season ended in a way no athlete ever hopes — on the sidelines, nursing an injury, watching his teammates fight without him. The Florida defensive back had been hitting his stride, finding a level of play he hadn’t reached before, only to have his momentum cut short by a shoulder injury suffered against Georgia.

“It was definitely tough,” Moore admitted. “I feel like I was really reaching a potential I hadn’t hit before, but every down valley, you can pull something positive from it.”

Instead of wallowing in disappointment, Moore used his time away from the field to grow in other ways. He became a vocal leader, mentoring younger players and offering insights from the sideline.

“I definitely connected with the guys more. I taught them what I was seeing and tried to help them with the things I did well,” he said. “That was positive for me. I just looked at it as — it’s not my time yet.”

Now, Moore’s time has arrived. Fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, Moore is eager to return to form, ready to embrace the game’s physicality that he missed so much. “I’m out there jamming guys, putting paws on people, having fun with receivers,” he said with a grin. “It feels good to be back.”

Moore’s injury was just one of many setbacks Florida’s secondary faced last season. The unit had to adopt a ‘next-man-up’ mentality, an approach ingrained in their culture.

“In our room, we have a motto — ‘everybody eats,’ ” Moore explained. “Whenever one guy goes down, or one guy is tired, the next guy has to be ready. We prepare for that in practice, in the film room, even outside the building.”

Despite the challenges, Moore and his teammates built a level of chemistry that translated into a surge in takeaways. Moore saw a spike in interceptions last season, crediting the defensive backs’ closer bond and commitment to studying the game together.

“The leaders in the room made it a priority to get closer. We spent extra time together, polished our technique, and communicated better. When everyone is on the same page, we have the talent to make plays.”

Moore is also adjusting to a new coach this offseason. When former secondary coach Will Harris departed for Miami, Florida quickly brought in Deron Wilson — a former Gators defensive analyst Moore already knew.

“I feel like myself and the room as a whole definitely accepted him,” Moore said. “It was an easy transition for me because he was here my freshman year, part of my recruitment. He came in still preaching a lot of the same things Coach Harris did but brought his own swagger, too.”

The transition was seamless because of Wilson’s instant command of the playbook.

“He showed up here on day one, hadn’t even moved his stuff in yet, and was already telling us things we added late last season,” Moore said. “That really opened my eyes. Not a lot of coaches can take in our playbook that fast.”

Wilson’s relationship with Moore transcends X’s and O’s. It’s built on trust, competition, and a bit of friendly banter.

 

“Cool dude. Players coach,” Moore said with a grin. “Every day we have, I’m joking with him. He likes to talk about how — I think in his day he had three pick-sixes or a couple of pick-sixes, so he always jokes with me — ‘Yeah, Devin, we got to get you in the end zone this year.’ Because, you know, I got stopped at the 1.”

 

Moore can laugh about it, but he appreciates Wilson’s attention to detail and film study of Moore’s 52-yard interception return against Kentucky last season. Moore was pushed out at the 1-yard line.

With the 2025 season approaching, Moore has one clear goal — to stay healthy and make an impact on his team.

“It would mean everything,” he said. “My main focus is just to make this a better program. Whatever way I can do that, I’m happy to do it.”

Moore has already earned the respect of his coaches, who see him as a player capable of taking his game to another level.

“He’s very talented,” said co-defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said. “His length, his speed, his experience — it’s all there. He’s got a lot of potential, and we need guys like him to take that next step if we want to be elite.”

Moore understands the expectations. He embraces them, and he knows there’s unfinished business.

“The backend we had last year created a lot of motivation and confidence for the fans,” he said. “They can’t wait to see the product we put out this year.”

Moore has every intention of doing just that. And if he happens to get a pick-six along the way?

Well, he’ll let Coach Wilson know it didn’t stop at the 1 this time.