Florida football released some mixed news regarding the health of its top wide receivers in the initial SEC availability report released Wednesday night.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Eugene Wilson III was listed as out, while freshman receiver Vernell Brown III was listed as questionable in the latest injury report. Redshirt sophomore receiver Aidan Mizell was also listed as questionable.
Florida heavily relied upon Wilson as its primary target against the Bulldogs. He made nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. It marked a stark contrast from his performance during the rest of the season, where he had just 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns through seven games.
“With a couple playmakers down. … He stepped up,” head coach Billy Gonzales said Saturday. “He did a great job. He's got big playmaking ability.”
Wilson’s injury is unknown at this time. Meanwhile, Brown and Mizell both missed UF’s 24-20 loss to Georgia on Saturday with injuries.
Brown is recovering from an AC sprain to his left shoulder, an injury he suffered in UF’s 23-21 win over Mississippi State Oct. 18. Mizell suffered a left leg injury in the same game, which forced him into a walking boot.
Brown and Mizell’s potential returns come days after freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson was ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, which required surgery.
"Any time a player gets injured, as a coach you feel for that player,” Florida interim head coach Billy Gonzales said Monday. “It's a setback but, we'll recover from it, he'll be fine."
Senior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant will have to step up alongside a number of less experienced Gator receivers, who have made cases for the second and third receiver roles if Brown and Mizell were unable to suit up Saturday.
Redshirt freshman TJ Abrams played 24 snaps against Georgia, while sophomore Tank Hawkins and freshman Naeshaun Montgomery played 10 and three snaps, respectively.
Montgomery was singled out by Gonzales on Wednesday as a young player who has stepped up to the plate with more opportunities.
“He’s done a great job in the last two to three weeks,” Gonzales said. “He’s hitting that stride right now. I’ve got complete confidence in him to be ready to go.”
More updates on Brown and Mizell’s status will come closer to kickoff as the Gators take on Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and also loves niche professional athletes (shoutout Tomas Fleischmann).
