Florida C Kingsley Eguakun Sidelined vs. Charlotte Due to Injury 'Setbacks'
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators center Kingsley Eguakun will miss his third game of the season on Saturday as he deals with a lingering ankle injury that forced him to sit out during the first two weeks of the year.
Eguakun suffered a short-term setback in Florida's SEC opener against Tennessee in Week 3, head coach Billy Napier shared on Wednesday.
"He finished the game. I think he's had some setbacks," Napier said. "I don't necessarily think it's a long-term issue. He just wasn't quite ready to practice today, yesterday. He was a little closer today but not quite ready to go. And typically, if a guy doesn't practice Tuesday, Wednesday for us, he doesn't play.
"Not a drastic setback, but not quite where he needed to be to compete and play. And the position he plays is obviously part of that."
Eguakun served as UF's starting center in 27 contests throughout his career, including 26 straight starts during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. He's assumed an undenied leadership role for the position and program in 2023 as a result.
In his season debut against Tennessee, the Jacksonville, Fla., native served as a significant aid to sustaining Florida's success upfront versus McNeese State against the heightened competition. He helped pave the way for 183 total yards on the ground, including 174 yards by running back Trevor Etienne, en route to slowing the contest against the up-tempo Vols' attack.
Accordingly, Florida prevailed with an upset victory over the nation's No. 11 squad.
The Gators will again look to backup Jake Slaughter to control the reins as Eguakun rehabilitates the injury.
Unlike in his first two starts, Slaughter won't have the luxury of working alongside the rest of UF's starting unit, as Eguakun isn't the only member of the offensive trenches expected to miss action.
Slaughter will instead work alongside fellow backups — true freshman right guard Knijeah Harris and swing tackle Lyndell Hudson — at least for the first 30 minutes as right guard Micah Mazzccua and right tackle Dameion George Jr. serve first-half suspensions handed down by the SEC for their role in the late-game altercation with the Volunteers.
Napier and Co. hope to have the experienced Eguakun back in the fold ahead of Florida's Week 5 road contest at Kentucky on Sept. 30.
The Gators will host the Charlotte 49ers in The Swamp on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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