Florida football released its initial injury report ahead of its matchup against No. 7 Ole Miss, which featured encouraging news for the Gators.
Freshman wide receiver Vernell Brown III and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Aidan Mizell were both off the injury report. However, redshirt senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks, who has only played 29 snaps in 2025, was upgraded to a doubtful designation. According to SEC policies, there is a 25% chance he could play Saturday.
While it’s not necessarily a positive outlook heading into the game, it marks the first time Banks hasn’t been listed out since he suffered a foot injury in Florida’s loss to LSU Sept. 13. Banks reportedly underwent foot surgery at Andrew Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, but no further information regarding his injury has been shared since.
It is also still unknown if Banks’ injury was a reaggravation of a foot issue that kept him out of the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl and limited him throughout UF’s spring training camp earlier this year.
In 2024, Banks broke out as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the nation, recording seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Banks logged 2.5 sacks in UF’s upset victory over Ole Miss on Nov. 23. He came into 2025 as a projected first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and is currently ranked No. 16 on Pro Football Focus’ draft big board.
"It hurt the whole team," Gators defensive back Jordan Castell said of Banks' injury Sept. 17. "He’s a great leader, a guy you always see helping a younger kid. But I know he is still going to be around helping."
Meanwhile, UF’s wide receiver room, which has dealt with numerous injuries this season, will have Brown and Mizell available this weekend. Brown played the most snaps (65) among UF receivers in its 38-7 loss to Kentucky, but he was held to one catch for 22 yards. Mizell played 24 snaps, making two catches for 10 yards.
The health of Brown and Mizell became even more important for the Gators when redshirt sophomore wide receiver Eugene Wilson III was ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for a high ankle sprain. This came a week after true freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson was also sidelined for the season.
“Tough son of a gun,” Gonzales said about Eugene. “He’s going to have a tight-rope procedure to give him the best opportunity to get back for himself coming off and to get ready for spring ball.”
Furthermore, sophomore Tank Hawkins opted out for the remainder of the season before the Kentucky game, securing a redshirt before he likely enters the transfer portal.
Alongside Brown, Mizell, and redshirt senior J. Michael Sturdivant, redshirt freshman TJ Abrams and true freshmen Naeshaun Montgomery and Muizz Tounkara all received snaps against Kentucky and remain in the mix for playing time.
Meanwhile, true freshman running back Duke Clark, who was active but did not play against Kentucky, was off of the injury report and is ramping up for a return to the field.
"[Duke’s] still working through things,” Gonzales said Wednesday. “But he looks good ... getting back into the swing of things."
If active, Clark would likely step back into a complementary role alongside redshirt freshman KD Daniels as reserve backs to sophomore Jadan Baugh. Fellow running backs redshirt senior Ja’Kobi Jackson and redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb remain out, per the injury report.
On defense, redshirt senior defensive back Michael Caraway Jr. was listed as out, while junior linebacker Grayson Howard, who has not played since UF’s loss to Miami Sept. 20, was not listed on the injury report.
Florida takes on Ole Miss at 7 p.m. Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
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).
