Florida’s Jamari Lyons sustained a broken ankle during Saturday’s scrimmage in Gainesville and will miss all of the 2024 season.
“Jamari Lyons broke his ankle, and he’ll be out for the season,” UF head coach Billy Napier said on Monday. “And obviously our thoughts and prayers with him. We’ve had a number of players who have been through injuries in the past. I think it’ll be important for those guys to help Jamari, because Jamari is one of our best – he really cares. It was really inspirational, to some degree. The entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career – guy gets hurt, and everybody knows it’s, it’s a pretty good injury. But we got all 132 and on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field. So, I think that’s an indicator that these guys are doing something, right – that there is that type of connection.”
Lyons was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He committed to Dan Mullen and his staff in October of 2021 and stuck to his verbal when Napier was hired.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Lyons was the #26 player in the state of Florida, the country’s #32 defensive lineman and the nation’s #233 overall prospect out of Viera High School in Melbourne.
Lyons was redshirted in 2022, but he did participate in three games and contribute two tackles. As a redshirt freshman last year, he played in all 12 games, recording 20 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
He was ahead of Desmond Watson for the backup role behind starting senior nose tackle Cam Jackson. Watson, who had 11 tackles, two QB hurries and one sack in 2023, figures to see the most increased playing time in Lyons’ absence.
Joey Slackman, a four-star transfer from Penn who has been working at defensive tackle, could slide over to nose tackle if needed. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder started 19 games for the Quakers across three seasons, producing 115 tackles and 11 sacks.
The Gators also have a pair of true freshmen in D’Antre Robinson and Michal Boireau who could earn provide depth at the position.
Lyons will have at least two years of eligibility remaining and could appeal to the NCAA for a sixth season down the road if he wishes.
As of Tuesday, most betting shops had Miami installed as either a two or 2.5-point road favorite at Florida in the season opener for both teams at The Swamp. The total was in the 54-55 range, while the Gators were +110 to +115 (Caesars) on the money line. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 31.
FanDuel has UF’s season win total at 4.5 (‘over’ -152, ‘under’ +124).