How the Florida Gators will replace Jamari Lyons in the DL room

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators were dealt a blow on Saturday during their first scrimmage of fall camp. Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons suffered a broken ankle, which required an immediate air cast, a cart off the field and surgery on Saturday.

Gators Online reported after the injury that it was a difficult situation for the players, with the entire team getting on the field to comfort their teammate. On Monday, Florida head coach Billy Napier described the scene from his point of view.

“It was really inspirational, to some degree. The entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career,” Napier said. “The guy gets hurt, and everybody knows it’s a pretty good injury. But we got all 132 on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field,” Napier said. “So, I think that’s an indicator that these guys are doing something, right — that there is that type of connection.”

While Lyons wasn’t projected to be a starter, he had surpassed senior Desmond Watson on the depth chart and put himself in position for a key role this year.

How the Florida Gators plan to replace Jamari Lyons

Lyons played the nose tackle position, which also includes starting senior Cam Jackson, Watson and true freshman Michai Boireau, who enrolled early. However, Napier also released that Lyons also lined up at END on the Gators’ defensive line, so they’re losing him in the rotation at two spots.

“I think the biggest thing was Jamari could play nose and end; he had some position flex,” Napier said. “That’s where we’re going to have to shuffle the deck a little bit.”

Lyons being out will result in more snaps for both Boireau and Watson, but — as Gators Online reported on Sunday — the staff plans to use some players at the END position inside.

Florida is deep at END with Joey Slackman (Sr.), Caleb Banks (R-Jr.), Kelby Collins (So.), Brien Taylor Jr. (Jr.), D’Antre Robinson (Fr.) and Tarvorise Brown (R-Fr).

Four of those six players will also see some time at NT to make up for the loss of Lyons. Interestingly, one of them is not Banks despite him being the team’s heaviest END at 325 pounds.

Napier added that one of the EDGE starters at the F position, redshirt junior Tyreak Sapp, can also play END to give the Gators more depth at that spot.

“You’re going to see Michai Boireau more, Kelby Collins more, and then we’ve got some guys that can develop there: Brien Taylor, D’Antre, Tarvorise. That’s an area where we’ve got some players; there’s some depth there.

“But I think those roles will be a little bit different. There will be some adjustment,” Napier said. “We can also move Sapp over there. He’s played some end before in the past.”

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