Billy Napier provides positive update on Florida Gators CB Devin Moore
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators had three projected starters who did not play in Saturday’s open practice. Senior receiver Ricky Pearsall had an illness, sophomore linebacker Shemar James was out with a leg injury and sophomore cornerback Devin Moore missed practice with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
During his Monday presser, Florida coach Billy Napier told Gators Online the timetable on James’ return is 7-10 days and added that UF would err on the side of caution. Napier also provided a positive update on the injury status of Moore.
“Devin Moore is in return to play protocol,” Napier said. “Should be a couple of days here and he’ll be back. Just an upper-body injury there, but he’ll be back and ready to go soon.”
The Gators return to the field Tuesday and practice again Wednesday before their first scrimmage of fall training camp on Thursday.
Moore played in the first five games during his freshman season. A shoulder injury kept him sidelined and he eventually needed surgery.
“The first part of the season, just having that opportunity to get on the field early, it definitely was a blessing,” Moore said. “It just felt like a lot of the hard work that my coaches preached, even the strength staff, and all of the help that my teammates gave me too, it definitely seemed like it paid off. And then come Missouri week, I took a bad fall and it kind of sent me down on a roller coaster a little bit. I feel like I came out of that experience with so much more of the mental game down and honestly, I looked at it as more of a blessing and a lesson.
“I had the surgery about Week 7 on Nov. 2. And I kind of just listened to the training staff. They did a great job. Sometimes I came out a little frustrated. My teammates, my coaches, and the training staff, they always uplifted my mood. So, I took rehab real seriously and continued to work to get back on the field healthy.”
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Moore spent the entirety of spring in a non-contact jersey and missed the Orange & Blue Game as he rehabbed his shoulder.
Moore was a full participant for the first four practices of fall camp. Saturday was the first one that he has missed, followed by Florida’s first padded practice on Sunday.
When healthy, Moore will have a great opportunity to play. He was competing for a starting job with redshirt junior Jalen Kimber across from junior Jason Marshall Jr.
“I feel like having that competition in the room just boosts us tremendously. Everybody is working hard day in and day out,” Moore said. “And in the cornerback room, we actually have a motto that we kind of live by. It’s, ‘Everybody eats as long as you take care of your business and coaches can trust you.’ So as long as you just take care of your business, you’ll get your opportunity.”
