FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- With star cornerback CJ Henderson opting to sit out the Orange Bowl as he prepares for the NFL Draft, the Florida secondary will have to shift yet again. The Gators have moved players around to different spots all season.

This shift will give true freshman Kaiir Elam a chance to further establish himself as a huge piece of the secondary going forward.

"I feel like Kaiir has already had a great outbreak season," linebacker David Reese said. "Whenever he's played, whenever he got that opportunity he did what he had to do."

Elam has been impressive, racking up two interceptions and three pass breakups despite really only playing heavy snaps for about a third of the season.

The Orange Bowl represents an opportunity for him, one other Florida defensive backs have really seized and run with over the years. Bowl games have typically given young players in the secondary a chance to really cement themselves as future superstars at Florida.

Take freshman Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, for example.

He was a monster in the Outback Bowl in 2016 in his first season, picking off two passes and running one back for a touchdown en route to earning MVP honors.

Or Loucheiz Purifoy, who made a major impact in the Gator Bowl in 2011, forcing a key fumble against Ohio State and establishing himself as a vital part of the UF secondary in that game.

"He's got a lot of opportunities throughout the year and he'll have another opportunity to make plays this game," cornerback Marco Wilson said of Elam.

The opportunity also represents more than just a chance for Elam to perform well on the field. He can become a leader for his class with a strong performance.

Reese pointed to Gardner-Johnson's big game in 2016 as a freshman in the Outback Bowl as something that helped give his entire class a lot of confidence going forward. That group ended up extremely successful, featuring the likes of Reese, Freddie Swain, Joshua Hammond, Tyrie Cleveland, Lamical Perine, Jachai Polite, Jawaan Taylor, Vosean Joseph, Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask.

"Lot of things just happened for our class there, and it was like, 'OK, we're talented. We've got enough talent,'" Reese said.

The core of that group has helped lead Florida to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Elam's class has that same kind of potential.

And he has been a guy that has turned heads from Day 1.

"I forgot what game it was, but it was one game I saw him, and he rerouted somebody, and I liked it," defensive tackle Kyree Campbell said. "He's just got a dog mentality and he's going to come to practice every day. If you can get that out of your back end, I don't know what else you could ask for."

Florida will ask a lot of Elam on Monday night against Virginia. The Cavaliers have three receivers who have more than 600 yards receiving this season. So there's no hiding anyone in the secondary. Elam will need to be ready to roll.

He's going to have a serious chance to make a name for himself and a statement to the rest of the Florida youngsters waiting in the wings.

"I think our guys have always embraced it as an opportunity to get better, an opportunity to handle a challenge, next man up mentality," defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. " Our corners that are -- they're all young guys. I think they're excited that they get an opportunity to play now, and the work they've put in up until now, they get to go showcase their talents.

"Elam is a guy that got thrown in there of the young guys first, and I think he does a really good job, shows his ability to play the ball in the air and he takes coaching."