Florida Gators: Starting Center Kingsley Eguakun Out vs. Utah

Florida will be without starting center Kingsley Eguakun against Utah in Week 1.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Florida will be without its starting center, Kingsley Eguakun, against Utah on Thursday night as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury suffered in practice on Aug. 16.

Eguakun was spotted with a walking boot on his right foot before the game, wearing shorts while observing the offensive line during warmups. 

Redshirt sophomore Jake Slaughter is expected to make his first career start against the Utes, in place of Eguakun. 

Program sources originally deemed Eguakun as "day-to-day" in hopes that he could return to practice before Week 1. However, Florida head coach Billy Napier labeled Eguakun as "to be determined" for the game on Aug. 25, before listing the offense lineman as questionable on the team's Monday injury report.

"We listed him as questionable and that's what he is," Napier said about Eguakun during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference.

Instead, Eguakun won't suit up for the season-opener. 

Slaughter, a product of local Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic, has appeared in three games offensively throughout his Florida career, snapping the ball 23 times from the center position. Without Eguakun available in the program's Orange and Blue spring scrimmage, Slaughter filled in on the first-team offensive line. 

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

"It's really important to Jake. He wants to do his job for his teammates, he cares about the University of Florida. It's kind of in his DNA to some degree, being local. So he's done fantastic."

Florida vs. Utah will kick off at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on Thursday, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

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