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7 most impactful injuries across the SEC in preseason camp
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
The college football season is right around the corner, but injuries have unfortunately taken a toll on some programs across the SEC.
The 7 most impactful injuries in the conference so far belong to: Florida edge rusher Justus Boone (ACL), Georgia running back Kendall Milton (hamstring), Kentucky offensive tackle Nik Hall (undisclosed), South Carolina wide receiver Juice Wells (lower body), Texas A&M tight end Donovan Green (ACL), Vanderbilt tight end Cole Spence (ACL) and Arkansas wide receiver Sam Mbake (knee).
Here’s a breakdown for each player:
Florida edge rusher Justus Boone (ACL):
Boone is coming off a redshirt freshman season in which he amassed 24 tackles (1 TFL, 1 sack) and 1 quarterback hurry. Florida head coach Billy Napier hopes Boone’s injury will serve as motivation.
“I do think this will galvanize our team. This is a guy they really love and care about,” Napier said. “And (they) will want to do their part to make up for his absence on the field. … But we’re gonna rally around Boone.”
South Carolina wide receiver Juice Wells (lower body):
It was an untimely setback for Wells but South Carolina coach Shame Beamer is “optimistic” the talented wide receiver will be in the lineup for the season opener vs. state rival North Carolina. Wells finished with a team-best 928 receiving yards as well as 6 touchdowns last season.
“He’s got a little bit of a lower-body injury that he’s dealing with right now. Nothing long term,” Beamer said. “Just some things that he’s gotta get a hold of.”
Texas A&M tight end Donovan Green (ACL):
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Green developed the ACL injury in the first scrimmage of camp. Last season, Green tallied 22 receptions, 233 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns as a freshman. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said his objective is to keep Green’s spirits up during this recovery process.
“You can come back from those things and there’s been huge numbers of guys that have done it,” Fisher said. “You’ve always got to keep that in their head. I think you’ve got to keep them engaged in your team.”
Georgia running back Kendall Milton (hamstring):
Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee expressed that Milton is “battling through fine” with his hamstring injury which has limited him during recent practices. The senior rusher finished with 592 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground last season for the back-to-back defending national champions.
Kentucky offensive tackle Nik Hall (undisclosed):
The absence of Hall during his second season with the Wildcats is a blow to Kentucky’s depth along the offensive line. The Austin, Texas native arrived at Kentucky as the nation’s No. 46 offensive tackle.
Vanderbilt tight end Cole Spence (ACL):
Spence figured to be a contributor at tight end for Vanderbilt prior to his ACL injury in June. The 6-foot-7, 247-pound second-year player saved his redshirt by appearing in just 4 games last season.
Arkansas wide receiver Sam Mbake (knee):
Mbake is out for the season with his knee injury. Despite having no receptions last season, the 6-foot-3, 2o3-pound Mbake saw action with first-team unit during parts of practice and was expected to see a bigger role in the offense.
