Florida’s depth at tight end took a hit over the weekend.
Freshman A.C. Leonard tore his meniscus Saturday and underwent an arthroscopic procedure Wednesday morning to repair it, coach Will Muschamp said.
The injury was a non-contact one and happened after Leonard planted his foot wrong.
While the timetable for Leonard’s recovery is slated at six-to-eight weeks, Muschamp said the former four-star prospect’s future this season remains to be determined.
“He's up to speed on everything we're doing,” Muschamp said. “He'll be involved in the meetings. He'll start the rehab immediately. It's a scope procedure so we feel like we can get him back -- if he heals quickly like a lot of guys do nowadays -- we can get him back on the field pretty quickly and we'll make that determination on his playing status this year at that time."
Leonard was rated the No. 5 tight end in the nation coming out of Jacksonville University Christian school and enrolled at Florida in January. His skill set has been compared by many to that of former Gators standout and current NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez.
The 6-foot-4, 244-pound former high school All-American was expected to compete for playing time behind Jordan Reed this season, but now could be a candidate for a medical redshirt, should the team decide to take that route.
To bring added depth to the position, Muschamp also announced that another freshman, Clay Burton, has been moved from defense to tight end and will now wear No. 88.
“I moved him, talked to him last night and he did that in high school some,” Muschamp said of Burton. “He's an athletic guy that can do some different things and get some movement.”
Burton, the younger brother of Gators running back Trey, was a three-star defensive end coming out of Venice High, according to Rivals.com.
During his junior season in high school, he recorded one reception for 13 yards and a touchdown, but played predominantly on the defensive side of the ball before enrolling at Florida.
Muschamp added that Omarius Hines, who is still listed as a receiver, could be used at tight end in certain situations if needed.
