The lone Florida Gator listed as questionable on initial SEC Availability Report this week, offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, has been downgraded to out.
Florida downgraded offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] from questionable to out in its Thursday night update to the SEC Availability Report.
Six Gators are done for the season with season-ending injuries, but the Orange and Blue have played without a good chunk of the starting lineup for most of the season.
Kearney has appeared in six games for Florida, playing a season-high 19 snaps at right guard in a blowout loss against Texas. Florida will also be without offensive tackle Devon Manuel, who hasn’t played since Week 4 against Mississippi State.
The defensive secondary remains the most problematic group for Billy Napier, in terms of depth. Starting cornerbacks Jason Marshall Jr. and Devin Moore remain out — Marshall is done for the season with a torn ACL and Moore hasn’t played since going down in Week 10 against Georgia — and backup Ja’Keem Jackson hasn’t played since Week 2 against Samford.
Starting safety Asa Turner has also missed most of the season after being injured against Miami in Week 1.
Quarterback Graham Mertz and wide receivers Eugene Wilson III and Kahleil Jackson are all done for the year as well. So are running back Treyaun Webb and defensive lineman Jamari Lyons, who broke his ankle in the preseason.
Linebacker Grayson Howard is missing his second game in a row after appearing on the initial availability report last week.
With no more players listed as questionable, Florida shouldn’t have any game-time decisions to worry about on Saturday against Ole Miss.
Players listed as “Out”
DB [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag]
DB [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. (season-ending injury)
WR [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] (season-ending injury)
The Gators play their final home game of the season against Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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Ten members of the Orange and Blue are listed as “out” while six are mentioned as “questionable”, including DJ Lagway in the latter category.
The initial SEC availability report for the Florida Gators ahead of their Southeastern Conference matchup at the Texas Longhorns is out and Billy Napier’s squad has 16 players mentioned.
Of those mentioned on the injured list for Week 11, 10 are listed as “out” while six are mentioned as “questionable”. Among those listed as unavailable is quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who suffered a season-ending injury against the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 7.
Also out for the rest of the fall is defensive back [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., whose injured labrum required surgery that effectively ended his 2024 campaign, and wide receiver Euegene Wilson III, who underwent surgery to repair his injured hip on Tuesday.
Running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag], who also underwent surgery this week, and while it has not yet been determined if his season is over, remains among those listed as “out”.
Florida’s current starting quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] is listed as “questionable” along with running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]., wide receiver Elijhah Badger, defensive back Dijon Johnson, offensive lineman Damieon George Jr. and defensive lineman Cam Jackson.
The rest of the “out” list mirrors that from last week.
How to watch Florida-Texas
Florida will go on the road and face Texas in Austin on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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The Gators’ defense will take the field without Jason Marshall Jr. for the first time since 2020 following a season-ending injury.
Florida will play the final five games of the 2024 regular season without its top cornerback, senior [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., according to a report from the Orlando Sentinel.
Marshall went down with a shoulder injury after making a tackle in Florida’s Week 8 win over Kentucky. After going to the locker room for an evaluation, Marshall returned to the sideline with his arm in a sling. Florida’s defense fared well without Marshall against a struggling Wildcats offense, notching three interceptions throughout the game.
Moving forward, junior [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] will act as Florida’s top corner, but the Gators will need one of their young defensive backs to step up in the wake of Marshall’s injury. Sophomore [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] also remains sidelined after suffering an injury in Week 2.
Sophomores [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] are the favorites to take over Florida’s second cornerback spot in the starting lineup. Johnson is the more experienced of the two and has played in every game for Florida this year; however, McClain is coming off a breakout performance against Kentucky where he returned an interception for a touchdown.
“Skill players always are a little insecure, and then when they get game experience, they have some production, and it’s like, ‘OK, I know what it’s like out there,’” Napier said of McClain on Wednesday. “He’s still learning the defense. But overall he’s got a smile on his face. I see him connecting with teammates. He’s growing up. He’s still very much a work in progress.”
Behind those two are a pair of true freshmen —Teddy Foster and Jameer Grimsley. Foster has played in four games this season and could still redshirt should he stay on the bench for the rest of the year, while Grimsley has yet to see the field.
Those numbers might point toward Grimsley getting the nod over Foster in an emergency situation.
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Here are the Gators Wire predictions for this weekend’s big game in Knoxville between Florida and Tennessee.
The Florida Gators head north to Knoxville this Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers as a part of college football’s chock-full Week 7 schedule. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. are looking for their second Southeastern Conference win in three tries, but it will not be easy.
The Orange and Blue are 3-2 overall, having won two straight against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road and UCF Knights at home, respectively. While having a winning record early on in the season is nice, the Gators are facing the toughest remaining slate of games among FBS schools.
The Vols have been among the best teams all season so far but were tripped up last weekend at the Arkansas Razorbacks. However was not enough to send them tumbling from the US LBM Coaches Poll top 10, coming in at No. 9.
Ahead of this weekend’s action, the Gators Wire staff convened to give their respective predictions for the Week 7 SEC affair.
Florida’s toughest matchup yet
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
This will be the Gators’ toughest road matchup of the season thus far as they play under the lights in Neyland Stadium. Florida’s offense will look to exploit Tennessee’s secondary with quick passes and explosive plays.
Freshman quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], in his first season as a starter, will need to stay composed in a hostile environment and not make any bad mistakes. [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], a more experienced veteran, has been in these situations before. So I’m expecting Mertz to take care of the football and not force any throws because limiting turnovers is absolutely crucial if you want to win in a game like this.
Tennessee’s defense has been solid this season, particularly in pressuring opposing quarterbacks, so Florida’s offensive line has to give their quarterbacks enough time to operate.
On the other side of the ball, Tennessee’s offense will test Florida’s defensive front. The Gators must limit big plays and force turnovers to stay in the game. If, and it’s a big “if”, the Gators can somehow carry over their defensive play from last week’s game against UCF, this game can be closer than people expect.
But in all honesty, all things are pointing in Tennessee’s direction for this contest. — Aidan Gallardo
Tennessee 34, Florida 24
Is a Vols victory inevitable?
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Sure, Tennessee lost to Arkansas last week, but that doesn’t bode well for the Florida Gators. An angry Volunteers team at home is just about the worst thing Florida could run into after putting up its first good defensive performance of the season.
Still, there is some hope for the Orange and Blue. Tennessee boasts the fifth-best rushing attack in the nation through six weeks of play, but Florida managed to silence UCF’s fourth-ranked run game a week ago.
Forcing Nico Iamaleava to throw the ball is a must, and then there’s the matter of quieting down the passing game. Florida’s secondary is getting back to full health and finding its legs behind [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., who is finally living up to his five-star billing out of high school.
On offense, Florida must find a way to break through an impressive Tennessee defense. The Vols rank second in rushing yards allowed per game with 68, 15th in passing yards per game with 159.6 and sixth in first downs allowed with 67 allowed all year. That means Florida can’t afford any penalties on offense, and even then it will be hard to move down the field at Neyland Stadium.
For the Gators to win, this needs to be a low-scoring game. I think Florida will surprise people and keep it close in the first half, but a two-score margin in favor of Tennessee feels inevitable over four quarters. — David Rosenberg
Tennessee 42, Florida 27
Neyland Stadium is as tough as it gets
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
This is an extremely talented Vols squad that got tripped up on the road by a pretty decent SEC team in the Hogs and is still highly ranked by both the humans as well as the computer models heading into Week 7. Florida’s win over UCF was solid but was far from convincing to the discerning eye.
The fact that this game will be played in one of the most hostile environments college football has to offer, it is hard seeing the Gators pull this one off. And frankly, it is one that will get away early from Napier and Co. while the home team cruises to victory. — Adam Dubbin
Tennessee 45, Florida 24
Florida at Tennessee game details
Kickoff for the Gators-Volunteers game is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the SEC action will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway leads the Gators to their first win of the season with a record-breaking performance.
Florida football (1-1) captured a much-needed bounce-back victory as they defeated the Samford Bulldogs (0-2), 45-7.
The action in the game started quickly as the Gators’ defense forced a fumble on Samford’s first possession of the game.
Defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. recorded his first career forced fumble for Florida but unfortunately, the Gators would turn it over on downs in the red zone on their first offensive possession.
But as the game progressed, the Gators were able to find their groove.
Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was the starter for Florida after Graham Mertz was unavailable to play due to a concussion he sustained last week against Miami.
Lights out is an understatement for the way the five-star true freshman played. He looked cool, calm and collected as he was having his way all night with the Samford defense.
Lagway did suffer a big hit in the head late in the second quarter that gave fans a scare, but he was able to come back in the game on Florida’s next offensive possession.
The first completion of the game came via a 77-yard throw to senior receiver Elijhah Badger. That would lead to a one-yard touchdown run by running back Montrell Johnson Jr. to put the Gators on the board 7-0 and give them their first lead of the season.
Johnson would finish the game with 15 attempts for 67 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Lagway recorded his first collegiate touchdown pass early in the third quarter, throwing a 36-yard strike to freshman receiver Tank Hawkins to give the Gators a 21-0 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Lagway threw a catch-and-run pass to sophomore receiver Eugene Wilson for 85 yards to blow the game open 38-7 and seal the victory for the Gators.
Wilson had himself a career game as well. The receiver caught six passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. It was Wilson’s first career game with over 100 receiving yards.
Lagway finished the game throwing for 456 yards and three touchdowns at a 72% (18-for-25) completion rate.
“I thought he (Lagway) was pretty clean,” head coach Billy Napier said about Lagway’s performance. “I think he had a mental error in the first drive and outside of that, overall, he managed it well and played pretty clean.”
Lagway finished the game with the most single-game passing yards in program history by a true freshman, passing the previous record held by Chris Leak in 2003.
“My mindset was to take advantage of the opportunity,” Lagway said after the game. “Go out there and compete…I feel like the preparation that coach (Ryan) O’Hara or coach Napier, even Graham (Mertz), they helped me a lot with just making sure I was prepared so that was good.”
The Gators’ defense looked energized and locked in from the opening snap. Despite being without several key players in their secondary because of injuries, it wasn’t a problem for Florida.
Florida held Samford to just seven points. The Bulldogs had just 205 total yards of offense and had to punt a total of nine times.
Redshirt junior edge defender Tyreak Sapp had a great game defensively. Sapp had five total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack.
It was a great showing all-around for this Florida football team that needed something positive to happen.
Records were broken, the Swamp was rocking and the Gators are now looking to build on their momentum as they head toward Week 3 of the college football season.
Up next for the Gators
Florida will play at home in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against the Texas A&M Aggies (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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If Florida can stay healthy at cornerback, the position room has a chance to be at its best since Billy Napier took over the program.
The winds of change hit Florida’s secondary room hard over the offseason.
In addition to several departures via the transfer portal, the Gators parted ways with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond and hired Will Harris from the Chargers to take over the reins. Harris has received positive reviews, but his players haven’t taken the field for a real game yet.
First, we’ll take a look at the cornerbacks on the roster. These are the guys who line up on the outside, rather than the safeties who play more up the middle. There’s also the STAR position, which is what Florida calls its nickelback, but we’ll go over those hybrid defensive backs with the safeties.
Let’s take a look at every cornerback on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.
Starting Cornerback: No. 3 Jason Marshall Jr. (Sr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2021
13
15
8
23
2-7
0-0
1
4
2022
13
20
9
29
1-2
0-0
1
9
2023
12
20
6
26
3-19
1-9
0
10
Total
38
55
23
78
6-28
1-9
2
23
[autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. is a former five-star recruit who draft experts view as Florida’s best prospect in the coming cycle. He could have tried his luck in the NFL at the end of his junior season, but he decided to return to Florida to increase his draft stock.
As the unquestioned No. 1 of the unit, Marshall should be on the field for most plays. He took 651 snaps a year ago, and ended the 2023 season with a 68.6 overall defensive grade on Pro Football Focus. There are some questions about his tackling ability, but Marshall showed he has lockdown ability by allowing just 17 catches on 38 targets (44.7%).
“I think Jason has taken a step forward as a leader. I’m proud of him. I think he’s been more vocal. I think his practice habits have improved. I think Coach Harris has been good for Jason. I also joke with him all the time, it’s a contract year for him,”Billy Napier said. “He’s back. I think he came back for a reason – not only to leave a better legacy at UF, but to increase value at the same time.”
Starting Cornerback: No. 28 Devin Moore (Jr.)
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2022
5
4
2
6
0-0
0-0
0
0
2023
7
5
1
6
0-0
0-0
1
4
Total
12
9
3
12
0-0
0-0
1
4
Devin Moore has shown flashes of greatness in both years he’s been with the Gators, but he can’t seem to stay healthy throughout the regular season. Ten pounds heavier coming into the 2024 season, Moore is hopeful to double his games played from 12 to 24 (or 25 with a bowl game).
Moore was Florida’s highest-graded cornerback in 2023. Pro Football Focus gave him a 78.3 overall defensive grade and an 81.7 coverage grade. His completion percentage allowed of 41.7% was even better than Marshall’s last year, albeit over 12 targets. Still, there’s some draft hope here if he can get stay healthy this season and put up similar numbers.
“During the offseason, I did everything I can to prehab you know just work on my body,” Moore said. “Make sure I’m in the best position to be healthy and stay healthy.”
Backups: No. 2 Ja’Keem Jackson (So.) and Dijon Johnson (So.)
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Ja’Keem Jackson:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2023
11
5
2
7
0-0
0-0
0
3
Dijon Johnson:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2023
12
1
1
2
0-0
0-0
0
0
[autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] saw more snaps at cornerback (113) than [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] (22), but both are expected to move up the depth chart in Year 2 with the Florida Gators.
Jackson’s numbers aren’t too gaudy, but he showed promise as a pass rusher, which is unique for a defensive back. He allowed 6 catches on 11 targets a season ago, so there’s some work to be done in coverage.
There’s a lot of confidence that Jackson will take a big step forward with more time on the field. He’s a former track star who also played receiver, so there’s an understanding of both sides of the ball there.
Johnson didn’t see the field a ton last year, but he impressed in fall camp. It might take an injury for him to see 200-plus snaps this season, but the former four-star recruit should up his total from the 22 snaps he played a year ago.
Reserves: No. 25 Cormani McClain (So.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
At Colorado:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2023
10
6
7
13
1-2
0-0
0
2
[autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] is finally a Gator, but it might take some time for him to fit into the rotation at cornerback in Gainesville. The former No. 1 overall recruit left Colorado after a season and joined Florida as a preferred walk-on.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see him get regular playing time this year, but McClain’s best moments are still likely 12 months or more away. Learning a new system is tricky, and Colorado’s coaching staff might have done more harm than good from a mental standpoint. You have to root for a story like this, but allow McClain a season to readjust.
Freshman: No. 4 Teddy Foster (Fr.) and Jameer Grimsley (Fr.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Florida added two cornerbacks to the roster from the 2024 recruiting cycle. Teddy Foster and Jameer Grimsley are the new faces in the position room, although the latter is actually a transfer who left Alabama after learning Nick Saban was stepping down.
Grimsley is the more highly-touted prospect, but he might be held back a bit because of the transfer situation. Both he and Foster should serve in reserve roles, similar to what Jackson and Johnson did last year.
Walk-On: No. 37 Javion Toombs (R-So.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
PD
2023
7
1
0
1
0-0
0-0
0
0
We only have one walk-on cornerback to go over as the rest of the walk-ons in the defensive backs room profile as safeties. Javion Toombs joined the team in the summer of 2022 and redshirted after making no appearances.
He played in seven games a season ago, mostly in a special teams role, but he managed to record his first defensive tackle at the college level.
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Running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]., cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] made the Second Team, and kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] earned Third Team honors. All four are returning players expected to lead their respective units.
Johnson has rushed for 800-plus yards in all three years of his college career, two of which came as a Gator. Last year, he split carries with Trevor Etienne, who is now with Georgia and earned a First Team nod. Fans were always going to compare the two, but this adds some fuel to the fire.
Marshall is a four-year veteran at Florida who has first-round draft hopes. He’s a former five-star recruit who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, but he’s the clear No. 1 in the cornerbacks room in Gainesville this season.
Crawshaw and Smack are the two faces of the special team unit because they interact with the ball a lot. It’s not always up to them whether a play is a success, but they’ll receive all the praise (or criticism) after every kick.
Georgia placed a league-leading 15 players across the three rosters, followed by Alabama with 14 and Texas with 10. Twelve schools had at least one first-team All-SEC player (not Florida), and nine schools had multiple first-team selections.
All three lists can be found in their entirety here.
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A couple of Florida Gators are represented in CBS Sports’ top-151 college football players of 2024.
A couple of star players from the Florida Gators’ football program have landed on CBS Sports’ top college football player rankings for the 2024 season.
Sports writer Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports ranked the best 151 college football players in the country and quarterback Graham Mertz (No. 86) and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (No. 141) are the two Gators represented in the rankings.
This spotlight not only showcases their standout talents but also gives them their much-deserved recognition as they gear up for a pivotal 2024 football season.
What CBS Sports says about Mertz
CBS Sports has Mertz as the 13th-best quarterback heading into the 2024 college football season.
“Yep. I’m a believer in Mertz,” Brockermeyer wrote. “Don’t forget he profiled as an elite prospect out of high school. A change of scenery, from Madison to Gainesville, did him well in 2023. He was consistent, completing 73% of his passes for the season for 2,900 yards, and took care of the football, throwing just three picks.”
Brockermeyer went on to write, “Florida has an unbelievably difficult schedule ahead and Mertz’s favorite target Ricky Pearsall is off to the NFL. Mertz can really silence the doubters if he delivers a good season in what will be choppy waters.”
CBS Sports’ thoughts on Marshall
“A former five-star recruit, Marshall Jr. is a lengthy cornerback who has led the Gator defense in pass breakups two years in a row with 19 combined — as well as two interceptions, Brockermeyer wrote. “Had some of his better games vs. Georgia as well. Can he make one final leap in 2024?
Marshall is the 12th-best cornerback on the rankings.
The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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With the 2024 college football season just over a month away, 247Sports has updated its transfer portal rankings one more time.
Bringing in a strong transfer portal haul is necessary for most college football teams these days, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has the Floride Gators poised to bring in one of the nation’s best transfer classes in 2024.
Three of Florida’s new players made 247Sports’ recent list of the top 50 transfers heading into 2024, but the Gators also lost a considerable amount of talent to the portal.
Former USC Trojan [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag] is the highest-ranked of the trio at No. 7, followed by former Colorado cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] (No. 21) and former Penn defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag] (No. 49).
Zandamela should compete for a starting spot on Florida’s offensive line, which struggled last year. Kamryn Waites recently moved back to the offensive guards’ room following the addition of Zandamela.
Slackman should also start, while McClain works his way into the cornerbacks rotation. Senior[autotag] Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and junior [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] should be the starters with sophomore [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] also in the mix.
The two ranked players who left the program this offseason are defensive end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss, No. 18) and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia, No. 35).
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Unsurprisingly, the heat is on Billy Napier and the Gators this fall.
The Gator Nation has been damned to a doldrums of three-straight losing seasons this decade — the first time that has happened since the 1940s — and the current outlook is not looking too promising.
Florida football enters the 2024 campaign with possibly the hardest strength of schedule in the nation and the prognostications are calling for a .500 finish to the regular season… at best. The fact of the matter is that it will take a minor miracle for the Orange and Blue to win six games this fall, but they play the matchups on the field not on paper.
Pro Football Focus college football analyst Mitch Kaiser published a list of five collegiate programs under the most pressure, which was headlined by the denizens of the Swamp.
Billy Napier on the hot seat
“There might not be a head coach on a hotter seat than [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag],” Kaiser begins.
“Whether expectations have been fair or not, Napier’s teams haven’t lived up to their preseason hype in his first two years at Florida. The Gators have gone 11-14 in his tenure and finished with a disappointing 0.067 EPA per play in 2023, which ranked 41st in the country.”
Florida’s strength of schedule
“The 2024 season will present an incredible challenge for the Gators, who may have the hardest schedule in college football, going through the normal SEC gauntlet in addition to facing Miami, UCF and Florida State. Winning six games could be a significant challenge.”
PFF has Florida’s strength of schedule ranked second-hardest in the nation and expects it to finish with a 5-7 record.
Graham Mertz and the Florida offense
“Florida has the talent to exceed expectations, though, with quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] coming back after a breakout season (77.9 PFF passing grade). [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], both of whom earned 80.0-plus PFF overall grades, are two top weapons looking to build on big years, as well.”
Gators’ improvements on defense
“Defensively, the Gators will need improvements out of cornerstone secondary pieces [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. Each recorded three pass breakups in 2023, which leads all returning defenders on the roster.
“If Napier can develop his players the same way he did at Louisiana, he will undoubtedly bring Florida back to relevance before long.”
Florida’s 2024 season opener
The Florida and the Miami Hurricanes open their schedule on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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