GAINESVILLE -- Florida’s offensive line was already a M*A*S*H* unit entering the spring, but a paper-thin group suffered another significant blow Friday when starting right tackle Roderick Johnson was injured during practice.
The redshirt sophomore -- and UF’s only linemen participating this spring with a career start to his name -- sustained a “stinger” and had “numbness in the hand” that will sideline him indefinitely.
“We took a pretty big blow in the o-line with Rod Johnson,” coach Jim McElwain said Monday.
“[He] kind of went down and got banged up a little bit. We’ve got to check on some pre-existing injury-type of stuff there to see where he’s going to be at, but he’s definitely [out] until we have more information on it.”
The Gators opened spring camp with just seven healthy scholarship linemen, and Johnson’s injury is simply a blow they can ill-afford. With a second-team unit comprised of four walk-ons, McElwain reiterated his decision not to hold a traditional Orange & Blue Debut this weekend.
“It obviously hurts us in an area where we didn’t have a lot of people to begin with,” he said.
“[Again] it will alter kind of what we’re able to do Saturday and moving forward.”
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