Updated on Monday at 12:30 p.m.
According to a report from The Moultrie Observer published on Feb. 4, the college football playing career of redshirt freshman offensive lineman Octavius Jackson will end without him seeing action in a single game for the Florida Gators due to a chronic shoulder injury.
Florida confirmed Monday afternoon that the school has “recently submitted documentation to the Southeastern Conference for a medical exception” on Jackson’s behalf, in a statement the program released via Twitter.
Jackson, a three-star prospect out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, GA who joined the team last season, plans to finish out his final three years of college by signing a medical hardship waiver and remaining with the Gators “as a student assistant … so that at some point he can get into coaching.”
Florida head coach Will Muschamp said in Aug. 2013 that Jackson was dealing with shoulder issues throughout fall camp.
In late October, he noted that Jackson had been taking part in practice and being considered to see time as a replacement on the Gators’ struggling unit.
However, Jackson never saw the field and received a redshirt for his freshman campaign despite dressing for 10 of 12 games in 2013.
On Jan. 13, Muschamp announced that Jackson had surgery the week prior to repair a chronic shoulder injury that was still giving him problems
“We’ll know more about his future in the coming weeks,” he said. “He’s having some issues there with his shoulder.”
The Observer’s Wayne Grandy reports that Jackson had surgery on his labrum before his senior year of high school and “reinjured it during a [Florida] practice … last season.”
Coming out of his second surgery on the joint in three years, Jackson has reportedly made the tough decision to take a new path in his football career.
“I really wanted to have an impact on this program and the school,” he told the paper, “but I’m getting through it.”
Jackson was expected to have a legitimate shot at playing in 2014 with two starting spots opening up on the Gators’ offensive line.
A Florida spokesman reached Monday morning said the team was “looking into” the report and could not provide further comment.
OnlyGators.com will updated this post as applicable.
22 Comments