Florida’s issues on the offensive line just got worse.
Over the offseason, the Gators lost four of five starting offensive linemen to the NFL draft and the transfer portal, putting the team in dire need of some more depth in the trenches. That need grew stronger on Friday when redshirt freshman lineman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] went down with an Achilles injury, according to 247Sports.
An anonymous source said that the injury came during a non-contact workout and that Waites’ tore it while doing an agility drill. Many expected Billy Napier to hit the transfer portal hard, and he has, but now he needs to add at least one more offensive lineman than he expected.
Waites joined the team ahead of last season via the transfer portal, following his former coach to the Swamp. He saw action in all 13 games for Florida, getting his first start in the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon State. Although nothing was set in stone for 2023, the expectation was that Waites would compete for a starting job.
Now, the Gators will have to lean on returning center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], tackle [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] and transfers [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag] (Alabama) and [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] (Baylor). Waites should be out for 6-9 months, according to UF Health‘s guidelines for an Achilles repair.
Perhaps Waites will be available toward the end of the season, but Florida will have to plan to be without him for most of the season following the devastating injury.
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