Trust Me
Coli Prophet
Man, I like RJ. Kid always played hard and was always where he needed to be on the field. I hope he does well.'Best decision': Moten details joining Gators, UF safety competition
Following three seasons at Michigan, Moten is now preparing to potentially play a large role at Florida in 2023.
'Best decision': Moten details joining Gators, UF safety competition
Following three seasons at Michigan, Moten is now preparing to potentially play a large role at Florida in 2023.
GRAHAM HALL4 hrs37
In the four months since fourth-year safety R.J. Moten opted to transfer from Michigan to Florida, many have inquired as to why the Delran, New Jersey, native opted to leave a 13-win program, one with an established head coach and the ability to contend for a championship once again in 2023, for a program in the early stages of a rebuild, where the path to the top has arguably never been more difficult as a result of the parity within the Southeastern Conference.
"I've got that question a lot," Moten admits, "but at the end of the day, it was the best decision for me, my future and my family's future."
Yet it wasn't one Moten, whose father, Ron, played at Florida in the mid-1980s, took lightly, evidenced by the fact he waited until the conclusion of spring camp in late April to announce his intention to continue his playing career outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
"It was a tough decision. It was hard," Moten, speaking to the media Thursday for the first time since his arrival in Gainesville, said. "I kind of waited until the last minute to do it, but I think that it was the best decision for me and my family.”
Now, as the Gators approach the midpoint of fall camp practices, and with the team's first scrimmage set for early Thursday afternoon, Moten is in the midst of finding out firsthand if his decision to transfer to UF was a wise one for his playing career. The 6-foot, 219-pound Moten is currently battling with Kamari Wilson for the team's starting safety role opposite Miguel Mitchell, multiple sources have indicated to Swamp247, and his experience may ultimately give Moten the edge over his underclassmen teammates in the safety room.
It would be conceivable – expected even – for Moten to profess he arrived in Gainesville intent on picking up where he left off in Michigan, serving as his team's starting safety after Moten appeared in all 14 games last season for the Wolverines, including 10 starts, though he's insistent that isn't the case as his first season within the SEC inches closer.
Amid a unit lacking valuable experience, Moten's cognizant of the fact the Gators will utilize a rotation at the position, and he should expect to help lead the way for the underclassmen in the room as they either get their feet wet or further acclimate to the collegiate level.
“Every day is just a competition. We all know the final goal and at the end of the day, the coaches have a say who is going to be on the field and who is not going to be on the field but I think recently, as I’ve noticed, we don’t even look at it like that," Moten said. "I’ll be on the field with Miguel, with Jordan (Castell), with Kamari, with Bryce (Thornton) at the same time, and we don’t even look at like that. We’re just all out there trying to make each other better.”
Unlike the start to Moten's collegiate career, there's an urgency for the freshmen to see the field early and often for the Gators, due to the team's depth situation at the position coupled with the coaching staff's philosophy of prioritizing on-field development at ideal junctures for the program's inexperienced players. When Moten arrived with the Wolverines, the program's depth at the safety spot wasn't in a precarious spot, and he wasn't required to play a not-so-insignificant role as a result. It led to Moten seeing the field in just one game as a freshman, and it didn't come on the defensive end.
In his collegiate debut, Moten appeared only on special teams for the Wolverines in the team's conference battle with Wisconsin, and that was it for Moten's freshmen contributions.
He would spend the rest of his inaugural season preparing to play a larger role the following year – a yearning which did come to fruition in 2021 when Moten appeared in all 14 games, including five starts, as a redshirt freshman for the Wolverines during his sophomore season.
It set him up for double-digit starts during his third year of collegiate action, making Moten easily the most experienced safety within the Florida program as it stands.
The value of his experience at Ann Arbor – for himself and for his newfound teammates at Florida – isn't lost on Moten.
"I got two rings and I've been in the playoffs. I was one play away from a national championship last year and I think, you know, just to being able to bring that experience and that knowledge on what it takes to get to that level because not everybody has been there," Moten said. "To be able to bring that to a team where that's the end goal, I think that will help out a lot.”
His value to the Gators, however, didn't lead Moten to instantly arrive at Florida prepared to lead. There was an acclimation process, including one that involved his father noting the improvements around the Florida facility in the 35-year span since Ron Moten last put on a helmet for the Gators and suited up at linebacker.
"He stayed in the stadium, Yon Hall, so when I showed him where I was living, he helped me move in, he was like, ‘whoa, this is like an actual apartment'," R.J. Moten recalled. "He was like 'yeah you all are living different now, and just enjoy it'.”
Soon, Moten was speaking up often within the safety room, looking to aid the unit's ongoing growth ahead of the 2023 season. It's a process which has continued into Moten's first fall camp with the Gators, one he's optimistic will be a beneficial one for all parties involved.
After all, Moten didn't join the program at Florida – where his father previously blossomed into a professional football player – intent on maximizing his opportunity in Gainesville. In the four months since he arrived at UF, he feels he's still getting started on doing just that, and he's optimistic the best is yet to come as Moten prepares for his regular-season debut Aug. 31 in Utah with his new program.
“The first couple of days I was like, a little shy, not saying too much, but they’ve accepted me and I’m happy about that," Moten said. "We joke all the time now in meetings, outside of practice and before walkthroughs as well, we get to joking around, but just to be able to have them accept me and open their arms, I still come to them for advice on plays and how they view things and how they see things.
"Everything is gelling well.”
If this is about that Fluoy (sp) kid... everything I read was Michigan was gonna end up holding off Kansas in the end for him, but the second that Duke offered, it was pretty much game over. Apparently that's always been his dream school.
That’s it
I mean if you're gonna go that far back, you might as well start screen shotting scripture out the good book too.
. Then trying to clown a team that was a fg away from winning it all.
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. Meyer had Saban calling Tom Herman for feedback after we shocked those bammas. Made Oregon look average after Zeke ran wild all over them in the chip 
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Don’t go into hiding when the games are played
