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Jamari Lyons out for the season after injury in scrimmage

Untitled designby:Nick de la Torre•08/12/24•

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators defensive lineman Jamari Lyons suffered a season-ending injury during Florida’s first scrimmage a camp.

“Jamari Lyons broke his ankle, and he’ll be out for the season,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said on Monday following the scrimmage on Saturday. “And obviously our thoughts and prayers with him. We’ve had a number of players who have been through injuries in the past. I think it’ll be important for those guys to help Jamari, because Jamari is one of our best – he really cares. It was really inspirational, to some degree. The entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career – guy gets hurt, and everybody knows it’s, it’s a pretty good injury. But we got all 132 and on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field. So I think that’s an indicator that these guys are doing something, right – that there is that type of connection.”

Napier noted that the entire team came on the field after Lyons’ injury and were around him before he was carted off the field.

Lyons’ injury happened early in the scrimmage was a devasting blow to the team and an injury scene that the players had to regroup from. Without Lyons in the lineup, the defensive line was still able to get good pressure at times. Lyons was expected to play a major role for the Gators, backing up senior nose tackle Cam Jackson.

Without Lyons in the fold, the Gators will turn to senior Desmond Watson to back up Jackson. Florida can also turn someone else like Penn transfer Joey Slackman has been working at defensive tackle but at 300 pounds could be a guy the Gators can ask to play nose tackle. They also have Caleb Banks and a pair of freshmen in D’Antre Robinson and Michai Boireau.

“I think we’ve got a veteran team,” Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman said. “I think being able to join the coaching staff, and like I said, it’s year three with Coach Napier. He’s implementing important things in the program, the discipline, and, you know, just getting the right guys, guys with character. I think all those things collectively, I could see myself being able to be a good fit for what’s already been established within the program.”

The Gators will scrimmage one more time on August 17 before they wrap up fall camp.

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