Florida Gators center Kingsley Eguakun cleared for Tennessee game
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators are getting back a major player on offense. Redshirt junior center Kingsley Eguakun will be back in the lineup and start for the Florida Gators when they host the Tennessee Volunteers this Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Eguakun had been an iron man for the Gators, starting 26 consecutive games at center from 2021-022. That streak ended when Eguakun missed the 2023 opener at Utah. He sat out the following week against McNeese.
Eguakun sustained a lower body injury during practice and has been listed as “day-to-day” since sustaining the injury during the last week of fall camp.
In his place, Jake Slaughter has started the last two games. The Ocala native was listed as one of Florida’s offensive players of the game during a 49-7 win in week two.
“I’m so proud of Slaughter getting in there,” starting quarterback Graham Mertz said. “He’s had that thing rolling. We’re excited to get King back, too.”
Gators offensive line struggled without Eguakun in season opener
Florida committed nine penalties with three false starts on the line against Utah. Left tackle Austin Barber was asked if not having Eguakun contributed to those penalties.
“No. I’ll take the blame, I had a penalty,” Barber said. “That’s nothing Jake did. I need to be more locked in. I think Jake played a pretty good game. First start, obviously you don’t want to go and have all these penalties in his first start. You can’t blame him for it. You didn’t see him have the penalties.”
If Eguakun is unable to play this Saturday, Slaughter will likely start his second game in a row. Florida will host McNeese on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“We’re playing at home for the first time with this group of players. So there’s some new processes that we have to go through here. And then once the game begins, you know, we’re looking for clean football,” Napier said. “We’re looking for really good process, communication, alignment, eye discipline, technique and fundamentals, and then just having the discipline to execute and make the play.”
