Florida dealing with several injuries ahead of Tennessee matchup

Florida released its Week 7 availability report on Wednesday, as mandated by the SEC for all conference games.

Nine Gators have already been ruled out for Saturday’s contest, and five more are listed as questionable.

The injury bug bit Florida’s wide receiver rooms the hardest. TJ Abrams, Marcus Burke and Kahleil Jackson (season-ending surgery) are all out this week, but the good news is that the team’s No. 1 — Eugene Wilson III — should be available.

Wilson has missed the last three games for Florida but is nowhere to be seen on the availability report, which means he’s practicing and coaches expect him to be active. Avoiding the mid-week questionable tag should mean that very few limitations on Florida’s top pass-catching target.

Aidan Mizell is another receiver who will return to the fold this week.

Defensive Backs

The defensive backs are another skill group that are struggling with injuries; however, only cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson has officially been ruled out, as of the Thursday update. Jackson has been out since the second half of Florida’s Week 2 contest against Samford.

DJ Douglas, Bryce Thornton and Asa Turner are all listed as questionable this week. All three play the safety position, leaving Jordan Castell as the lone healthy regular.

Turner hasn’t played since suffering a non-contact injury against Miami. Getting a veteran presence who transferred over from Washington back could be a big boost for Florida’s defense.

Linemen

Florida’s offensive line and defensive line are both dealing with injuries.

On offense, starting left tackle Austin Barber is questionable, and his backup, Devon Manuel, is out this week. Florida listed Barber as a captain this week, so the expectation is that he’ll be ready to play despite being limited throughout the week.

On defense, Joey Slackman is questionable after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear last month. The surgery is considered relatively minor and shouldn’t keep him out all year. However, a return in Knoxville is far from certain. Jamari Lyons broke his ankle in fall camp and is expected to miss the entire season.

Running Backs/Tight Ends

Running backs Treyaun Webb and KD Daniels are both out for a second straight week. Their return timetables are unknown at this point, with Billy Napier declining to comment on Webb’s status specifically.

Tight end Tony Livingston is also out after missing the UCF game. He played in all four of the previous contests and could preserve a redshirt without playing the rest of the season. Livingston has made no indication that he is opting out and transferring, though.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.