What This Southern Miss Defensive Back Transfer Brings to Gators

Last season, the Florida Gators leaned on veteran transfer Trikweze Bridges, a versatile defensive back who could line up just about anywhere in the secondary. Shortly after Bridges left for the NFL, the Gators added Micheal Caraway Jr, another well-rounded defensive back from the transfer portal.

The Southern Miss transfer lined up all over the field throughout his time with the Golden Eagles, taking 576 snaps at corner, 236 snaps in the box and 94 at nickel. During spring practices, fellow Gators defensive back Devin Moore mentioned that Caraway Jr brings valuable experience and a willingness to learn to Florida’s defensive back room.

“He’s an older guy like me,” said returning corner Devin Moore. “In between reps, he’ll run a route. Today we were doing one-on-ones — I broke up a pass, and he goes, ‘How could I sell that better? What could I have done to beat you right there?’”

The perfectionist mindset also shows up in his film. Caraway is highly reactive to a receiver’s movements while also exhibiting patience, rarely falling for double moves or biting on play actions. The former JUCO transfer comes out of his breaks fluidly, wasting minimal steps while crashing down to defend passes. 

He’s usually not the largest defensive back on the field. Still, Caraway relies on athleticism and tenacity to fight through blocks and regularly hunt down ball-carriers from across the field. Even when he’s not making the tackle, he’s forcing someone else to. The Mississippi native was Southern Miss’ highest-graded run defender last season (79.5) while finishing fourth on the team in solo tackles. 

He started the season as Southern Miss’ boundary corner before moving inside later in the season to help with run support. Although Caraway primarily faced Group of Five competition, he has risen to the occasion against more reputed programs, giving up just one catch in the season opener against Kentucky and even holding his own against Florida State’s Keon Coleman in 2023.

Caraway is already adding the kind of size needed to compete in the SEC, according to Florida’s director of strength and conditioning, Tyler Miles.

“Caraway, who came in from Southern Miss, has put on almost 30 pounds — it’s like 27. He weighed 190 today,” Miles said.

With Devin Moore and Dijon Johnson returning, Florida has experience at corner. But with his experience and versatility, Caraway Jr can be moved around and trusted to handle multiple roles.

Every defensive backfield could use a utility player, and the Gators might have one of their own with Caraway.

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