J.C. Jackson’s first season at Florida is over.
Coach Will Muschamp announced on the Southeastern Conference’s weekly teleconference that the true freshman defensive back will have shoulder surgery next week to repair a labrum injury that carried over from high school.
Jackson’s shoulder slipped out during Florida’s 65-0 win against Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Muschamp said this also occurred during training camp.
"He possibly could continue to push through the season but we felt like at his young age to go ahead and get it fixed and move forward," Muschamp said. "He’s a guy who certainly was going to help on special teams and at corner. He’s going to be an outstanding player. I’m disappointed for him but we have to move forward."
With Jackson out for the year, Florida is left with four players who practiced exclusively at cornerback throughout training camp — sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III, junior Brian Poole, and true freshmen Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson.
"We were rotating, all those freshmen that we brought in played in that game and they’re going to continue to play for us," UF defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said. "They’re in the rotation, they’re going to play in the foreseeable future for games. Obviously that’s one guy less, one guy down, but we have enough bodies back there to be alright."
Muschamp also restated that left tackle D.J. Humphries (bone chip in ankle) will be out for Florida’s SEC opener against Kentucky on Saturday and probably will not return until Florida’s game against Tennessee on Oct. 4.
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