Florida Gators starting edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair his meniscus and is out for Saturday’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers, according to Swamp247.
The redshirt senior has started all 10 games for Florida football this season, logging 401 defensive snaps. He’s been one of the Gators’ most consistent performers on the edge, posting sacks, multiple tackles for loss, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles.
The Gators will be forced to adjust against a Tennessee offense that scores in bunches and is comfortable with games that end up being shootouts. And with the Swamp hosting a night game, the timing of Gumbs’ injury adds another frustrating wrinkle to a season to forget.
For a Florida team sitting at 3-7 and searching for anything to end the season on a positive note, Gumbs’ absence is a gut punch. Earlier this season, he racked up a season-high nine tackles (four solo), one sack and one quarterback hurry on 58 snaps against the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Volunteers have shown they can move the ball on anyone, and without Gumbs setting the edge, the pressure shifts directly to the other guys to step up.
Florida will likely lean more heavily on Jayden Woods, Kamran James, Kofi Asare and Tyreak Sapp to fill the void.
Tennessee will test Florida’s defense early and the Gators will need to put up one of their best collective efforts on the defensive side of the ball.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football EDGE George Gumbs Jr. to undergo knee surgery, per report
Reporting by Aidan Gallardo, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
