While the No. 7 Florida Gators look to take on the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30, there are plenty of players to keep an eye on, and one will be the progress of sophomore cornerback Kaiir Elam, who took the starting No. 1 cornerback spot for Florida this season.
This season, Elam led the SEC in passes defended with 11, and was named to the All-SEC Coaches team as a first-team defensive back. On the year, Elam accounted for 39 tackles (28 solos), one tackle-for-loss and two interceptions. Elam also had several near-interceptions throughout the season.
Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham spoke about the young defensive back during his Cotton Bowl press conference earlier this week, attributing the success Elam has had to his hardworking and determined attitude.
"This day and age it's really hard for guys sometimes to take critical looks at themselves on what they gotta get better at and he is very passionate about the game," Grantham said of Elam.
"He is very tough on himself in the standpoint of, wanting to be exact in what he does. He's a competitor. I mean, the guy competes in everything he does, he's a smart guy that really tries to understand the whole concept, not just his plays but what's happening around him, which can make him a better player."
Entering the year, Elam had big shoes to fill after the departure of eventual first-round cornerback CJ Henderson, who was drafted No. 9 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Elam would see his success grow over the season, becoming a leader among the defense, a player many would follow to get better themselves.
"Even from the start of this year, my coaches wanted me to be more of a leader. But I'm the type of guy who just leads by example first," Elam said last week of his leap this season in the leadership department.
"And if anyone wants to follow, then I allow them to follow. But I'm just trying to really focus on doing my job and executing and making plays that comes towards me and not forcing anything. And hopefully that will rub off on the rest of the team. And I'm going to try to step up and be a leader, but it's on the defense as a whole to really execute. So not just the secondary, but just everyone."
While he was excited and honored to be named a first-team All-SEC player, Elam wanted the world to know that his quarterback, Kyle Trask, deserved more than second-team All-SEC, and is a true Heisman quarterback.
"He's super talented, and I wouldn't want to play with any other quarterback in the country."
The type of leadership traits Elam has showcased over the course of the season has been noticed by plenty, and part of why he's become such a complete player, Grantham says.
"I think that the accolades he's gotten is really a credit to his constant persistence in working to become a complete player," he said.
"And I mean that from being able to come up and support the run, to defend the pass, to being a good blitzer, to doing everything that you need to do as a football player to help your team win. And that's where I think Kaiir is, is he's a complete player that really works to be a perfectionist at his craft."
Next year, Elam will work to rise yet again, a true junior with plenty of NFL hopes. While the Florida secondary struggled plenty this season Elam was one player that was virtually rock-solid in coverage, not allowing very many completions.
According to Pro Football Focus, Elam allowed just 23 completions out of 54 targets on the year, or just 43.6% completion percentage. He allowed 326 yards and just three touchdowns.
Against Oklahoma, Elam will look to continue showcasing his skills, but for now, he simply wants a win.
"I feel like this game is a big game for us. We're coming off a two-game losing streak. I don't like to lose."
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December 27, 2020 at 11:48PM
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Gators CB Kaiir Elam Is a 'Complete Player', Says DC Todd Grantham - Sports Illustrated
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