Injury Report: Two Florida Starters Questionable vs. Utah

Florida released its debut midweek injury report of the 2023 season, deeming two starters as questionable for Week 1.

Photo: Kingsley Eguakun; Credit: Zach Goodall 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The statuses of two starters, per Florida's Week 1 depth chart, are now officially in question.

Florida released its Week 1 injury report on Monday ahead of its Thursday, Aug. 31 matchup with the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City. The report in its entirety can be found below.

• C Kingsley Eguakun (lower body) — questionable
• DE Chris McClellan (lower body) — questionable
• QB Jack Miller III (upper body) — questionable

Eguakun and McClellan's inclusion in the report, in particular, stands out ahead of the contest.

Eguakun, Florida's starting center, suffered his injury during Florida's Aug. 16 fall camp practice, which All Gators first reported. The redshirt junior was originally labeled "day-to-day" by the team.

Napier said on Monday that Eguakun is "making progress" in his recovery from the injury. 

Redshirt sophomore Jake Slaughter is listed as Eguakun's backup on Florida's Week 1 depth chart. He would be expected to start at center should Eguakun be unavailable to play on Thursday.

"Jake Slaughter is a player I have the utmost confidence in," Napier said on Aug. 25. "He's been outstanding in his role."

McClellan, a sophomore, was added to the report with an unspecified lower-body injury. He is listed as a co-starter with redshirt freshman Caleb Banks at defensive end on Florida's debut depth chart. 

Making 13 appearances as a freshman, McClellan racked up 23 tackles with 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. 

Additionally, Miller, listed as Florida's backup quarterback behind Graham Mertz, continues to nurse what Napier on Aug. 19 described as "tendinitis in his [right rotator] cuff." 

Notably, redshirt senior tight end Dante Zanders was not listed on the injury report. He missed a portion of Florida's fall camp due to an undisclosed injury but returned to practice this past weekend. 

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