Florida will be without John Brantley when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., this weekend.
Coach Will Muschamp said Monday that Brantley will miss Saturday’s game with what Muschamp classified as a “lower-leg injury” and that freshman Jeff Driskel is in line to start against No. 1 LSU.
“John’s disappointed,” Muschamp said.
“He’s playing really well. … He’s disappointed. I’m hurting for him, but it’s time to pick up the other guy. That’s what our football team will do.”
Brantley left last week’s 38-10 loss to No. 2 Alabama near the end of the first half after he was sacked by Courtney Upshaw. Brantley’s right leg bent under him, and he clutched his knee before being helped off the field by trainers.
Muschamp would not comment on the extent of Brantley’s injury, but multiple reports surfaced Sunday that it was a high ankle sprain.
Brantley could be out for an extended period of time, and Muschamp said he will give weekly updates on Brantley’s status. He said the quarterback will not require surgery.
With Brantley sidelined, Muschamp said Driskel is the team’s starter despite spraining his ankle against Alabama.
Florida’s coach added that Tyler Murphy and Jacoby Brissett will also take repetitions in practice this week.
With the Gators having to rely on a freshman signal-caller in Death Valley, the team will experience a dropoff in experience from Brantley, a senior with 18 starts under his belt.
If Driskel is indeed the starter come Saturday, it will mark the first of his career.
He enrolled early at Florida in January as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the nation out of Oviedo Hagerty High, according to Rivals.com, and asserted himself as Florida’s backup early during fall camp.
“Jeff is a very mature young man,” Muschamp said.
“He’s a guy who went through spring with us, and he’s a very outstanding athlete and an outstanding quarterback.
“He’s got legs, he can run, he’s a guy who can give you some variety as far as escaping the pocket and evading the rush. I think that’s a positive.”
Driskel has seen time in four of the Gators’ five games this season, with Florida’s 33-23 win against Tennessee on Sept. 17 as the lone contest in which he wasn’t a participant.
In limited playing time, he is 7-of-16 passing for 73 yards and two interceptions and has run the ball 12 times for 26 yards.
He looked wide-eyed and uncomfortable in the second half against Alabama’s stout defense, completing just 2 of 6 passes while overthrowing receivers and often looking to tuck the ball and scramble.
After escaping the pocket in the third quarter, Driskel displayed his athleticism on a 31-yard run — the longest run allowed by the Tide all season — but he will have to make plays with his arm as well on Saturday.
While Muschamp said he thinks Driskel is past the initial shock of facing Southeastern Conference defenses, he said the rest of the team will have to step up, too.
“We got to play well around Jeff; we got to play around him and what he does,” Muschamp said. “Him having played before, been in the fire before, certainly that will help him on game day.”
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
Gators freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel (16) will make the start against No. 1 LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La., after senior John Brantley was ruled out Monday with a high ankle sprain.
