Florida cornerback Dijon Johnson will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery this week.
Johnson, a starter in the secondary for Florida in every game this season, was injured in last weekend’s 26-7 loss to Miami. He left the game in the second half after a tackle attempt. Head coach Billy Napier confirmed the injury news during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference call.
“It’s going to be fixable, nothing long-term there, but he will be out the remainder of the season,” Napier said.
A junior from Tampa, Johnson had made 8 consecutive starts dating back to last season. Through the team’s first 4 games, he recorded 8 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and his first career interception. Johnson saw 145 snaps on defense — the fifth-most of any Gator defender and the second-most among corners.
In his absence, Cormani McClain’s role should expand. J’Vari Flowers (18 snaps) and Teddy Foster (12) are the only other cornerbacks to see time on defense this season. Foster has 2 tackles on the season. Flowers has played in every game on special teams, though he has not recorded a tackle. He did have a pass breakup in the opener.
The Gators (1-3, 0-1 SEC) are on a bye this week. They return to action on Oct. 4 when they host Texas.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
