Florida EDGE Justus Boone Suffers Injury in Scrimmage

Projected starting edge rusher Justus Boone suffered a lower-body injury during Florida's Thursday scrimmage, All Gators can confirm.

Photo: Justus Boone; Credit: Alex Shepherd

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators redshirt sophomore edge rusher Justus Boone suffered a lower-body injury of an unknown severity near the end of Florida's Thursday intrasquad scrimmage, All Gators can confirm. 

Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online was first to report Boone's injury. Florida head coach Billy Napier is likely to address the situation during his 12:30 p.m. ET press conference on Friday. 

After appearing in 13 games as a redshirt freshman, making two starts, Boone has been projected to take on a first-team role opposite junior Princely Umanmielen on the edge of Florida's defensive front in 2023. 

Boone accumulated 24 total tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss in a rotational role along Florida's defensive line in 2022, after producing three tackles including 1.5 for loss in two games as a freshman the year before. 

Originally from Sumter, S.C., Boone signed with Florida over programs such as South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas Penn State, North Carolina and Oklahoma in the recruiting class of 2021. 

In the event that Boone is shelved for a period of time due to the injury, Umanmielen, sophomores Jack Pyburn and Quincy Ivory, and freshmen Kelby Collins, T.J. Searcy and Kamran James would comprise Florida's group of available scholarship edge rushers. 

Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp, listed at 6-foot-3, 271 pounds, could also be a candidate to play on the exterior of Florida's defensive front. Walk-on redshirt freshman EDGE Bryce Capers also earned defensive snaps in 2022 and could see his role elevated should depth concerns arise at his position. 

It is worth noting, however, that Collins donned a no-contact jersey ahead of the scrimmage on Thursday. 

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