Florida running back Matt Jones will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus and miss the Gators’ upcoming spring practice, coach Will Muschamp announced on Monday.
Jones, a bruising power back, was the Gators’ third-leading rusher this year with 339 yards and two touchdowns. He tore his meniscus in Florida’s loss to LSU in mid-October.
The loss of Jones means more reps for senior Mack Brown and sophomore Kelvin Taylor, who bring different running style than Jones.
Muschamp also announced that young linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jeremi Powell and Matt Rolin will sit out spring drills while rehabbing various surgeries.
Of course, the most important thing the Gators need to do in spring is install a new offense. Muschamp recently hired former Duke offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and it looks like the Gators will be revving up the tempo and introducing some spread elements. For now, they’ll just have to do the install without Jones.