The UF defensive line took a major hit Monday, as Coach Urban Meyer said starting tackle Javier Estopinan and backup Brandon Antwine are out for the season.
Another tackle, redshirt freshman Terron Sanders, is out indefinitely with a left high-ankle sprain.
Estopinan, a junior starter alongside Clint McMillan in the middle, suffered his third ACL injury in the last three years against Georgia on Saturday.
Meyer spent part of his Sunday with Estopinan and his family.
"There's not a tougher guy, not a better guy," Meyer said.
Antwine's news comes as less of a shock, as he spent 10 days in the hospital earlier this month with muscular back problems.
The loss of Estopinan and Antwine, two of the Gators' top three tackles, leaves a huge hole opposite McMillan.
TEBOW'S HEALTH STILL IN QUESTION: With no Georgia defenders around, the only thing Tim Tebow had to protect his bruised right shoulder from on Monday was the weather.
He left UF's practice field bundled up under a red no-contact jersey protected by a long-sleeve undershirt as the nighttime temperature dipped into the low 60s.
Tebow needs to take every precaution to keep his non-throwing shoulder safe.
The injury hindered his mobility against Georgia and could have a lingering effect in Saturday's game against Vanderbilt and beyond.
That has many worried about the superstar - and for good reason.
Tebow did little to allay fans' fears Monday morning.
"I'm probably going to have to play with some pain," he said.
The sophomore originally bruised the shoulder against Kentucky on Oct. 20 and fought his way through six sacks versus the Bulldogs.
But he said the shoulder felt better after the Georgia game than after the Kentucky win.
"We're rehabbing it, trying to get it ready to go come Saturday," Tebow said. "Getting sacked and running doesn't make it feel too good."
Despite his quarterback's concerns, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said Tebow was healthier after Saturday's game than before it.
Tebow received a cortisone shot before kickoff and could continue that routine this week.
The constant hits on Tebow, as painful as they looked and must have felt, did not further aggravate the shoulder, Mullen said.
"You have to think he's going to be much better by this weekend," Mullen said. "It was just going to be a time deal with the injury."
Mullen's game plan will mirror the one used against Georgia if the soreness does not subside.
Tebow had only seven runs for 25 yards not counting lost yardage from the six sacks on Saturday.
A healthy Tebow would ideally get at least five or six more designed carries.
"As he gets his confidence back right now and some strength in that arm, it's going to improve his scrambling ability," Mullen said.
Etc: Meyer compared the current running back situation to the kicker competition in 2006, calling the battle between Kestahn Moore and Brandon James wide open. … UF's game at South Carolina on Nov. 10 will air on ESPN at 7:45 p.m. … Tebow was named Monday as one of 15 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien Award - given to the nation's top quarterback, on and off the field.
