Injury Report: Five Gators Out, One Questionable vs. Gamecocks

Six players appear on the Gators' injury report ahead of Florida's Week 7 matchup at South Carolina.

Note: This story has been updated to reflect linebacker Ja'Markis Weston's removal from Florida's weekly injury report. Weston was listed as out from Weeks 2-6. 

Photo: Kingsley Eguakun; Credit: Zach Goodall 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida anticipates the return of three typical starters — running back Trevor Etienne, offensive tackle Austin Barber and safety Miguel Mitchell — from injury for the Gators' Week 7 road matchup with South Carolina on Saturday. The trio of contributors was removed from the team's weekly injury report on Wednesday evening.

Find UF's injury report for the game below. 

• WR Caleb Douglas (lower body) — out
• WR Andy Jean (lower body) — out
• WR Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman (lower body) — out 
• TE Jonathan Odom (upper body) — out 
• TE Dante Zanders (lower body) — questionable 
• OL Kingsley Eguakun (lower body) — out 

Of note, Florida listed Etienne, Barber and Mitchell as questionable on its Week 6 injury report ahead of the Vanderbilt game, but none of those players went on to appear in the contest due to their hurts.

Arguably of most importance for Florida, the offensive line will be without Eguakun in the starting center role for the fifth game this season. 

Redshirt sophomore Jake Slaughter will continue to fill the void in the middle of the Gators' five-man offensive front as UF attempts to maintain the success on the ground it realized with Montrell Johnson Jr. serving as the bell cow back against Vandy as they return two key pieces to the rushing attack. 

The lone questionable athlete on the list this week is Zanders. The veteran tight end has moved in and out of the lineup throughout the year, hampered by a lower-body injury. 

Another offensive starter, Douglas, remains sidelined after suffering a leg injury in the Gators' loss to Kentucky in Week 5. The initial diagnosis of Douglas' lower-body injury indicated that he is likely to miss four-to-six weeks of action, Napier shared on Oct. 2.

Jean, who served as a replacement for Douglas against the Commodores, will be sidelined for the Gators' battle with the Gamecocks as he deals with a lower-body injury of his own. 

Chiaokhiao-Bowman remains on the inactive list, having only seen action for Florida in one game during the 2023 campaign.

Odom will miss a second game in a row after suffering a lower-body injury against Kentucky, which limited him to two offensive snaps in Week 5. He also did not take the field versus Charlotte in Week 4. 

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