Florida will enter Jon Sumrall’s first season in Gainesville with a relatively clean injury report.
The Gators were hit by injuries throughout the 2025 season, including significant setbacks to several key players, but Sumrall said Monday that his team is largely healthy ahead of Saturday’s opener against FAU.
“We’re pretty healthy,” Sumrall said in his Week 1 press conference. “The injury report is pretty positive in regard to having pretty much everybody ready to go.”
Only one player, walk-on running back Kelvin Jimenez, has been ruled out for the season. Tight end Evan Chieca remains questionable after missing time during camp, although he has returned to practice.
“Chieca is questionable. He’s practicing. He’s running around, but it’s a matter
of how far we want to push him,” Sumrall said. “I’m not sure about his availability for Saturday yet. It’s not off the table, but it’s not a green light yet.”
Freshman defensive lineman Kendall Guervil has also returned to practice after being sidelined during camp.
Florida is only required to release availability reports for SEC games, but Sumrall has been fairly straightforward when answering questions about the team's health.
Florida’s relatively clean bill of health is a welcome development after injuries repeatedly tested the Gators’ depth in 2025. By November, Florida had weeks with double-digit players unavailable, including extended absences for Eugene Wilson III, Dallas Wilson, Caleb Banks, LJ McCray, Treyaun Webb, Aaron Gates and Dijon Johnson. Gates and Johnson suffered season-ending injuries, while Banks reinjured his foot after returning against LSU.
Sumrall has emphasized availability throughout the offseason, and Florida’s current injury situation gives the first-year coach nearly a full roster available as the Gators prepare to open the season in the Swamp.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida enters Week 1 with encouraging injury report
