Two Starters Join Gators’ Week 8 Injury Report

Florida needs a win Saturday against Mississippi State, but that objective may have only gotten that much harder to achieve. UF released its initial Week 8 availability report, listing 12 players — six of whom are marked as out or questionable, including two starters in its secondary.

The newest members to join the list are cornerback Cormani McClain, safety Jordan Castell and defensive tackle Brien Taylor Jr., who are all questionable ahead of this weekend. All three men have been intricate pieces to the Gators’ defense this season, especially McClain and Castell, and have not missed any games to this point.

Castell has 22 tackles, with a team-high 10 coming against Miami. He also has two interceptions — one in each of the last two games. McClain transferred to Florida last season, but did not emerge as a key contributor in the secondary until this season. The adjustment period for him was a bit of a culture shock, but multiple members of the team have praised him for his growth.

“I believe in what the game can teach, I believe that you define expectations for young people. I think they’ll do whatever you allow them to do. Period. Look, the guy was on thin ice around here for a little bit, so I think he realized that we were serious. We weren’t going to compromise the team for him. And it was sink or swim,” coach Billy Napier said on Oct. 1. “And I think it’s that way for every player here. You’re gonna do things in a certain way, or you can go somewhere else.”

McClain played 69 snaps against Texas A&M in just his third start at Florida and had two tackles. 

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Taylor Jr. is the latest Gators’ defensive linemen to join the injury report.

The 6-foot-5, 294-pound senior has 13 total tackles this season, along with 1.5 sacks. His strength has been in supporting Florida’s rush defense, as he has proved to be an anchor in the middle. Against the Aggies, Taylor Jr. earned the fourth-best Pro Football Focus (PFF) run defense grade on the team with a 71.2.

“I think when we moved him inside is where I really thought: Okay, [this] guy’s capable. He’s got some position flexibility. The guy’s got great play strength. He can anchor, and he’s long. … Those are the ingredients,” Napier said. “He’s got all the traits you’re looking for. It’s his last year of college football, and we need him.”

Out

• Treyaun Webb
• LJ McCray
• Aaron Gates
• Duke Clark
• Dijon Johnson
• Caleb Banks

Questionable

• Jordan Castell
• Ja’Kobi Jackson
• Cormani McClain
• Brien Taylor Jr.
• Devon Manuel
• Tony Livingston

Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC