Trio of Florida Gators officially ruled out of Vanderbilt game
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators will be without three key offensive players when they take on the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday. Starting left tackle Austin Barber, starting center Kingsley Eguakun, and leading rusher Trevor Etienne will all miss the game. Matt Zenitz of On3 was the first to report.
Barber was seen on the field before the game in street clothes and a walking boot on his left foot. Eguakun was also seen on the field in street clothes.
Barber has played in the Gators’ last 20 games including five starts in 2022 and five starts this season. Eguakun (ankle) has played in just two of the Gators’ six games in 2023. The center started 26 consecutive games at center before missing the season opener at Utah.
Etienne leads the Gators in rushing this season. A source told Gators Online that Etienne is dealing with a shoulder injury. The true sophomore was seen on the field in street clothes as the rest of the team warmed up.
He leads the Gators with 358 rushing yards this year and has found the end zone twice. That could open the door for Montrell Johnson — who has a team-high three rushing touchdowns — to take over as the lead running back.
“If that happens I’m preparing for it. It doesn’t matter who gets the ball. I’m preparing for it,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “If Trevor can’t go I trust the coaches to put me in the right plays. If that means more carries, I’m ready for it.”
Napier added that redshirt sophomore offensive tackles Jordan Herman (left) and Kamryn Waites (right) are part of the rotation at the position.
“It’s one of the solutions that we’re pursuing to some degree, right? In terms of continuity up front. It’s not just game day where continuity becomes an issue. It’s also in how you practice, who’s available during the week, the mixture of rotations. I think that we’ve got some guys that are working their butt off,” Napier said.
“Lyndell Hudson has had a really good week, Jordan Herman. You know, there’s a lot of plays out there where he looks like he’s got a chance. He’s got to continue to develop. But I think, you know, Damieon [George] obviously is healthy. So Lyndell, Damieon, Kam will be a factor, probably even if Austin was available. Kam Waites, it’s great to have him back. So, those are the players that would be playing at tackle.”
