Billy Napier provides status updates on two key Florida linemen

The Florida Gators were missing a good chunk of their offensive line against Charlotte, but the unit could be back at 100% for Kentucky.

Florida spent the first half of Saturday’s game against Charlotte without three of its starting offensive linemen.

Right tackle Damieon George Jr. and right guard Micah Mazzccua were suspended for the first half of the game after getting too rough with the Tennessee players after a late hit a week ago. George came back in to play the second half alongside tight end Dante Zanders, also suspended for the brawl, but Mazzccua sat the entire game.

Napier explained on Saturday that it was a little bit of “in-house discipline,” and confirmed that Mazzccua would be back on Saturday.

The biggest question mark is still the man in the middle, though. Center Kingsley Eguakun sat against Charlotte to rest an ankle injury he suffered during fall camp. Eguakun played against Tennessee after missing the first two games of the year, and he’s expected to participate in practices for the rest of the week.

Still, Napier isn’t speaking as if it’s a certainty that Eguakun plays on Saturday.

“I think it’s to be determined,” Napier said Monday. “I think that he’s made progress. We anticipate him practicing tomorrow. I’ll be able to let you know Wednesday.”

If Eguakun can’t go, Jake Slaughter should start in his place at center once again.

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Florida OL sitting against Charlotte, expected to return next week

The Florida Gators will once again be without starting center Kingsley Eguakun, who will take this week to rest a ankle injury.

Florida got center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] back for all of one week as the senior offensive lineman returned to the injury list on Wednesday.

But there’s little reason for Florida fans to fear. The Gators are heavy favorites at home against Charlotte this week and Eguakun is expected to return for the Gators’ Week 5 road matchup against Kentucky, according to Swamp247.

Eguakun hurt his ankle during fall camp (Aug. 16), which caused him to miss the first two games of the year. He played all 71 snaps for Florida on offense against Tennessee, though. It’s unclear just how hurt Eguakun still is, but he won’t get too many chances to rest moving forward.

The Vanderbilt game in two weeks could be an option, but the Gators might want to be at full force after falling to the Commodores in 2022.

Eguakun didn’t have his best game against Tennessee. He finished the night with a 46.3 rating on offense — a 52.6 rating as a run blocker and a 41.1 rating as a pass blocker. He was elite against the pass rush in 2022, especially over the first seven games of the season.

Hopefully, the rest will get Eguakun back where he needs to be.

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Florida releases Week 4 depth chart vs. Charlotte

Florida’s Week 4 depth chart looks mostly the same as the week prior’s, but there are a few notable names missing as a clash with Charlotte looms.

After a convincing win over Tennessee in Week 3, the Florida Gators are changing up the depth chart too much for a Week 4 matchup with the Charlotte 49ers.

On offense, the most notable changes come in the trenches.

At right tackle, Damieon George Jr. is listed as the third-string option after starting the first three weeks of the season. He’s not being demoted. George and Micah Mazzccua are suspended for the first half of the game after defending Graham Mertz following a late hit. Lyndell Hudson II will start at right tackle and Richie Leonard IV with start at left guard.

Center Kingsley Eguakun is once again out with a lower-body injury after returning to the field for just one week. Jake Slaughter will start in place of Eguakun with Richie Leonard IV serving as the backup. If Leonard is moved from the left guard spot, redshirt freshman Christian Williams will step in for him.

At tight end, redshirt freshman Arlis Boardingham is now listed ahead of junior Jonathan Odom.

Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman returns to the receiver corps this week, but Eugene “Tre” Wilson III will sit and recover from an upper-body injury suffered against Tennessee.

The only change on defense is a major one. Kamari Wilson, a five-star recruit out of IMG Academy in his second year with Florida, is no longer listed on the depth chart. He was the “or” option to Miguel Mitchell at safety for the first three weeks of the season.

Wilson’s situation is one worth monitoring over the next couple of weeks.

Also, at the SAM linebacker spot, Mannie Nunnery has jumped ahead of Scooby Williams, who is playing more inside linebacker these days.

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Florida’s starting center set to return for Tennessee game

The Florida Gators medical staff clears Kingsley Eguakun in time for upcoming home matchup against the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.

After missing the opening two weeks due to an ankle injury, Florida Gators center[autotag] Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returns to the starting lineup after being cleared by the Florida medical staff.

Eguakun was listed as day-to-day since sustaining the injury during a practice in late August.

The center was missing during the horrid 24-11 loss to the No. 12 Utah Utes, ending a streak of 26 consecutive games starting at center. The Utes earned five sacks on quarterback Graham Mertz, exposing Eguakun’s absence as a crutch for the Gators.

Backup center Jake Slaughter and the rest of Florida’s offensive line kept Mertz safe and got the run game going during Saturday’s win over the McNeese State Cowboys, 49-7.

Florida welcomes the Tennessee Volunteers to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST. The matchup is set to air on ESPN.

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Gators’ injury update has starting center questionable in Week 2

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives injury updates for two members of the offensive line.

The Florida Gators released the depth chart for the home opener against the McNeese State Cowboys and UF head coach Billy Napier gave updates for two key offensive linemen.

Napier told reporters center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] is still questionable, but backup tackle Lyndell Hudson “will be available” if his services are needed.

Eguakun suffered a right ankle injury during fall camp and was expected to be a key piece for the Florida offensive line.

Gators quarterback Graham Mertz was sacked five times against the No. 12 Utah Utes defense, and one has to wonder if Eguakun’s presence would’ve taken more pressure off Mertz.

The Gators are considerable favorites in the home opener on Saturday, and the Cowboy defense isn’t expected to be a threat against the rest of Florida’s offensive wall. Because this is the case, the Orange and Blue can afford to let Eguakun rest another week and make sure his ankle is at 100%.

Florida International transfer Lyndell Hudson might take a few snaps Saturday night because Napier wants to give his linemen as much experience as possible.

“I think we kind of went into the game with maybe only 13 starts with that group up front,” Napier told reporters. “So that group is inexperienced.”

Hudson brings in plenty of experience after transferring from FIU. The sixth-year senior made 25 starts at tackle but dealt with a back injury for most of 2022. If all goes as planned this week, Hudson might see a few snaps against an FCS program.

Florida releases Week 2 depth chart ahead of McNeese matchup

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Florida football’s starting center remains day-to-day with injury

Will Kingsley Eguakun be at full strength for Thursday night’s game? We still do not know.

Florida football head coach Billy Napier held a press conference on Friday to address some of the concerns surrounding his program heading into the team’s season-opening rematch with the Utah Utes. As expected, the status of injured players was at the forefront of the queries presented to the second-year skipper.

One of the biggest questions — almost literally — heading into Thursday’s game out in Salt Lake City is the health of starting center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], who sustained a lower-body injury during fall practice on Aug. 16.

Napier simply stated that he “likes the progress” that the 6-foot-3-inch, 300-pound lineman has made in the last week and change, but was non-committal about when he will be back at full strength. Additionally, there has been no update on the situation since Friday’s press conference.

2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Offensive Line (Guards/Centers)

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Thursday, Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Offensive Line (Guards/Centers)

The interior of Florida’s offensive line will feature a ton of new faces in 2023, but Kingsley Eguakun is still there holding things down in the center.

The lone returning starter on the offensive line at Florida this season will be center Kingsley Eguakun. However, Billy Napier still has to replace both starting guards in 2023 after losing O’Cyrus Torrence to the NFL and Ethan White to the transfer portal.

Naturally, Billy Napier hit the portal himself to find some experienced talent to fill out the interior of his offensive line. There’s bound to be some dropoff from last year’s line that only allowed 13 sacks during the regular season and helped rushers average 5.8 yards per carry, though.

Napier will also use some of the team’s homegrown talent, and some freshmen are also starting to make a name for themselves. Of course, it takes more than five linemen to get through a game, so plenty of the backups should see action.

Here’s a look at every center and guard on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Florida football’s starting center sustains a lower-body injury

Hopefully it is as minor as it sounds, but you never want your starting center to miss out on reps.

Florida football’s redshirt junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained in practice on Wednesday, All Gators’ Zach Goodall reports. It is unclear the exact nature of the injury but given his current status, the issue is very unlikely to prevent him from starting at his position to open the season.

The fifth-year offensive lineman was named to the Rimington Trophy Watchlist at the beginning of the month. The Rimington Trophy is given to the most outstanding college football center, with just one Gator earning the prestigious award: Maurkice Pouncey in 2009.

The Jacksonville, Florida, native has never allowed a sack in 40 games played and has only allowed three quarterback hits in his 26 straight starts at center since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, according to PFF. Eguakun leads the current team in total career offensive snaps with 1,747 and is expected to be the cornerstone of a revamped O-line in the Swamp this season.

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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Florida’s starting center named to Rimington Trophy Watchlist

Yet another Florida Gator earns a mention on a prestigious preseason watch list.

Florida football’s redshirt junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] earned a mention on the Rimington Trophy Watchlist, the trophy committee announced on Friday.

This year, the committee worked with Pro Football Focus to narrow down its list to the top 40 centers. PFF grades every player on every play of every game on how well they execute their given assignment and that play-by-play grading allowed the Trophy committee to create a watchlist based both on nominations from the schools and data provided. Once the season begins, schools will be able to nominate their centers for late addition based on in-season merit.

The Jacksonville, Florida, native has never allowed a sack in 40 games played and has only allowed three quarterback hits in 26 straight starts at center, according to PFF.

Florida has produced one winner of the award: Maurkice Pouncey in 2009. Mike Degory was a finalist in 2005.

Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at the University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman.

The trophy will be presented on Jan. 14, 2023, at The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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Florida football announces 2023 SEC Media Days representatives

This trio of Gators will join Billy Napier in Nashville for this summer’s SEC Media Days.

Florida football players [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] will represent the Gators alongside Billy Napier this year at the SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tennessee, the league announced on Monday.

The four-day event, which kicks off on July 17 inside the Nashville Grand Hyatt, features all 14 conference head coaches along with three players per team representing their respective programs.

Florida makes its appearance at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 19, coinciding with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks and Kentucky Wildcats on the same day. The rest of the conference’s daily schedule and coaches can be found below.

Monday, July 17

LSU – Brian Kelly
Missouri – Eli Drinkwitz
Texas A&M – Jimbo Fisher

Tuesday, July 18

Auburn – Hugh Freeze
Georgia – Kirby Smart
Mississippi State – Zach Arnett
Vanderbilt – Clark Lea

Wednesday, July 19

Alabama – Nick Saban
Arkansas – Sam Pittman
Florida – Billy Napier
Kentucky – Mark Stoops

Thursday, July 20

Ole Miss – Lane Kiffin
South Carolina – Shane Beamer
Tennessee – Josh Heupel

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