Following a rocky start to the 2024 college football season, the Florida Gators received more bad news Friday when wide receiver Kahleil Jackson underwent season-ending surgery to repair a ruptured ACL. Jackson is reported to have received the injury during Monday’s practice.
Jackson, a redshirt junior, had one reception for 13 yards in Florida’s season-opening 41-17 loss against the Miami Hurricanes. Last season, he had 21 receptions for 251 yards and one score. Jackson joined the Gators’ program as a walk-on in 2020, and he was later awarded a scholarship after the 2022 season.
Jackson is a Gators legacy player, since his father, Willie Jackson, played for the club from 1991 to 1993. Not only did Kahleil’s father wear the Orange and Blue, but his grandpa, Willie Jackson, Sr., was one of the first two Black scholarship football players at Florida. Furthermore, his uncle, Terry Jackson, was a prominent Gator running back in the 1990s.
While Jackson is not an immediate starter, his injury will definitely test the Gators’ receiving corps depth as the season progresses. Florida will seek to rebound from its season-opening loss when the Samford Bulldogs visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be shown on ESPN+ and SEC+.
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