The Florida Gators will be without four players when they take the field tonight against Miami.
Safety Brad Stewart, receiver Rick Wells, defensive tackle T.J. Slaton and walk on defensive back Pat Moorer. will not be available for the season opener; Dan Mullen announced five minutes before kickoff.
Stewart, a junior, played in 11 games including seven starts in 2018 and was battling for a starting job in the offseason. When the Gators official depth chart was released on Monday there was an “or” between Stewart and senior Jeawon Taylor. He tallied 41 tackles and two interceptions, including a game clinching pick six against LSU.
Slaton was listed as a second or third stringer at defensive tackle along with Luke Ancrum.
While neither player was considered a solid starter both were going to be big contributors for the Gators’ defense against Miami and will be needed this season.