Report: Florida TE Keon Zipperer Suffers Injury in Spring Camp
Photo: Keon Zipperer; Credit: Alex Shepherd
Gators senior tight end Keon Zipperer suffered an apparent knee injury in Florida's sixth practice of 2023 spring camp on Thursday, Jacob Rudner of 247Sports reported on Friday morning.
The extent of Zipperer's injury is currently unknown as the program awaits results from medical examinations to determine the severity of the wound and a recovery timetable, per Rudner. Zipperer appeared to confirm a long-term sidelining on his Facebook page late Thursday evening, posting "2024 shake back year."
A product of Lakeland (Fla.) High, Zipperer joined the Gators in the class of 2019 as a consensus four-star tight end prospect and has appeared in 41 games since, making six starts in 2022.
He's hauled in 38 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns in his Gators career, posting single-season career highs in offensive snaps (339), receptions (13) and yards (177) during his fourth-year junior campaign.
Zipperer did not play in the final five games of Florida's 2022 season due to a knee injury. He was upgraded from "out" to "questionable" on UF's injury report for Weeks 12 and 13 of the regular season before being ruled "out" prior to the Gators' Las Vegas Bowl matchup against Oregon State.
It is unclear whether or not Zipperer's current knee wound is linked to his prior ailment. However, Zipperer was observed participating fully in the media viewing periods of Florida's spring practices before his injury was reported.
Sixth-year redshirt senior Dante Zanders split the first-team role at tight end with Zipperer in 2022, having moved back to his original position due to a lack of depth last spring after two seasons at defensive end. Should Zipperer be removed from action into the 2023 season, Zanders would be first in line for an uptick in usage thanks to his experience.
The 6-foot-5, now-249-pound Zanders produced ten receptions for 75 yards in 2022.
Fourth-year junior Jonathan Odom offers the next-most playing experience in UF's tight end room with 20 appearances under his belt, mostly within a rotational blocking role. However, Odom has not participated in spring camp while recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in the Las Vegas Bowl in Dec. 2022.
The position otherwise features inexperienced and unproven contributors that would be required to step up if Zipperer and/or Odom cannot play when the 2023 season gets underway.
Redshirt freshmen Arlis Boardingham, Hayden Hansen and Andrew Savaiinaea — the third player being a recently-converted defensive lineman, and grayshirt freshman Tony Livingston make up Florida's scholarship depth at tight end this spring.
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