Florida LB Shemar James ruled out for remainder of season after knee surgery

Florida will be without linebacker Shemar James for the rest of the season, according to Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre. He’s dealing with a knee injury suffered during pregame warmups last week and underwent surgery.

Billy Napier confirmed the injury on Wednesday, calling James’ injury a “dislocation of the kneecap” during his press conference. After going through surgery this week, James’ recovery will be approximately four months, according to Napier.

James has been a staple of the Florida defense this year, leading the Gators with 54 tackles while adding 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He played against Georgia despite the injury, totaling five tackles and 0.5 tackle for loss.

After appearing to slip during pregame warmups against Georgia, James came back out with a knee brace and looked shaken up once again during the third quarter. The condition of the field was a big topic of conversation throughout the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party game, and the city of Jacksonville released a statement on the matter later in the game.

“Our top Florida-Georgia game priority is the safety of players and fans,” the statement read. “The field at EverBank Stadium was resodded after the BCU-Southern game last weekend for the second time this year and in accordance with NFL standards. While the sod faced a week of warm Florida weather and was dry upon arrival, the field was tested and passed prior to the game and there is no safety issue for players. We stand by our experienced team of turf professionals who have prepared fields for games at all levels from college to the Super Bowl.”

What’s next for Florida without Shemar James

Now without James, Napier said it’s now a chance for other players such as Scooby Williams and Teradja Mitchell to step up and replace the Gators’ leading tackler. Williams ranks third on the Florida roster with 36 tackles along with 3.0 tackles for loss, while Mitchell has 14 tackles over eight games.

Napier said both are great leaders, and he also noted Derek Wingo might also rise to the occasion. He has six tackles and 1.5 sacks this year, and he could get some looks, as well.

“I think it presents a great opportunity for those other three guys,” Napier said, via de la Torre. “They’ve all had great weeks. We’ll lean on Scooby and Teradja to go along with the leadership and communication standpoint. Wingo has experience here.”