Earlier this month, Florida lost one of the most experienced members of its defense to a season-ending injury. This week, they have reportedly lost one of their youngsters on that side of the ball as well, albeit to one not as serious.
Citing a source close to the program, the Gainesville Sun has reported that Nick Smith underwent surgery on his left knee Monday to repair a torn meniscus. It’s unclear how or when the linebacker suffered the injury.
As a result of the medical procedure, Smith will be sidelined for a period of at least six weeks. Such a timeline would not only keep Smith out for the whole of summer camp, but for, at minimum, the 2017 opener Sept. 2 against Michigan in Arlington as well.
It should be noted that UF has yet to publicly address what if any health issues Smith may need to overcome.
A three-star member of the Gators’ 2017 recruiting class, Smith was rated as the No. 79 outside linebacker in the country. While Smith has been expected to contribute immediately on special teams, his expected absence early on exacerbates the dearth of available talent in UF’s linebacking corps.
From the Sun: