Gators Week 14 Injury Update
To end their regular season, the Florida Gators should be at just about full health on defense.
At his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Dan Mullen announced that linebacker Amari Burney (knee) is "ahead of schedule." in his recovery process, and has a shot of playing against Florida State on Saturday.
Defensive end Jabari Zuniga has been cleared to return as well.
"Burney’s got a chance to come and play this week," said Mullen. "They say he’s way ahead of schedule, so he’ll be able to do some stuff today [in practice]."
The sophomore linebacker has dealt with numerous injuries during the season, yet nothing major. When he has played, Burney has recorded 32 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
Burney has played at both MONEY linebacker and STAR nickel cornerback this season, so getting him back gives Florida versatile depth and a playmaker in coverage.
As for Zuniga, the redshirt senior edge rusher has been in and out of the lineup all year. But despite appearing in only four games this season, Zuniga has tallied three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. Zuniga also ranks fifth on the team in quarterback pressures with 13, per Pro Football Focus.
Zuniga received an invite to the annual Senior Bowl prior to the 2020 NFL Draft.
Burney and Zuniga returning to the field would put Florida's defense at full strength to close out the season. The Gators face the Seminoles at 7:30 P.M. on Saturday, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL.
