Florida football’s sophomore defensive lineman suffers ACL tear

“This is a guy players really care about… We’re going to rally around Boone.” — Billy Napier

Florida football’s defensive roster took a blow when defensive lineman Justus Boone went down with an injury during Thursday night’s first preseason scrimmage.

On Friday during his press conference, head coach Billy Napier revealed that the sophomore sustained an ACL tear and will undergo surgery in the next several weeks, effectively ending his season before it began.

“Believe it or not, it was celebrating after a play was over,” Napier admitted. “It was really non-contact. He was just coming off the field. One of those head-scratchers, you know. Any time a non-contact injury occurs, it causes you to ask questions.”

Boone appeared in all 13 games last season as a redshirt freshman, starting two of them. He finished the 2022 campaign with 24 total tackles, including one for a loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry. The year prior, he appeared in just two games – including the Gasparilla Bowl — before taking a redshirt.

Napier attempted to find a silver lining in the loss.

“This could really galvanize our team,” Napier suggested. “This is a guy players really care about… We’re going to rally around Boone.”

The Gators opened camp Sunday, July 30, and the team held its first practice of the 2023 season on Monday, July 31. Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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