Game Week – Monday: Opening Week Depth Chart | LB Antonio Morrison’s Suspension Reduced | New Mr. Two Bits, Muschamp on Tight Ends, Opener

Head coach Will Muschamp on Monday announced that the Florida Gators have lost a second starter for the year as redshirt junior right tackle Chaz Green tore his labrum in practice last Tuesday and will undergo season-ending surgery on Wednesday.

“Really disappointing news with Chaz Green. He’s going to have to have surgery this week to repair a labrum,” Muschamp said. “It happened in last Tuesday’s practice, felt it was OK, got the MRI back Friday afternoon. Chaz was playing his best football, playing extremely well, had certainly solidified himself at the right tackle spot.”

Muschamp also announced that sophomore starting running back Matt Jones, who is still recovering from a serious viral infection, is expected to be cleared to play the second week of the season at Miami on Sept. 7.

“Matt Jones continues to progress and do well. I certainly think he will be available next week,” he said. “He’s getting some more blood work done today as we work through it. Unless we have some sort of setback, I certainly think that’s going to happen.”

Muschamp continued: “He’s running, he’s cutting, he’s lifting. We haven’t put pads on him yet and he hasn’t gone out in the heat yet [with pads]. He’s been out in the heat as far as running is concerned. They’re just worried about a relapse from the standpoint of coming back too early. That’s what we’re waiting on the blood work to get back for him today. I’ll know more [Monday] afternoon or [Tuesday]. I saw him [Sunday]; he looks great. But again, I’m not a doctor.”

Green joins redshirt senior kick return Andre Debose (torn ACL) as starters lost for the 2013 campaign. Debose was also expected to see significant time at wide receiver.

Redshirt sophomore transfer Tyler Moore will take Green’s place in the starting lineup, just as he did during spring practice when Green was sidelined with an ankle injury. Junior transfer Trenton Brown will serve as the back-up.



“We do have depth on the offensive line,” Muschamp explained. “[I’m] still feeling good at right tackle with Tyler Moore and Trenton Brown.

“Tyler took all the reps during the spring when Chaz was out with the ankle. Chaz played through that throughout the entire last season, in a lot of pain and played well for us. Disappointing for him but that’s part of the game there.”

Green is also the second starting offensive lineman to be seriously injured this offseason as redshirt senior right guard Jon Halapio tore his right pectoral in mid-July, has not yet practiced this fall and is expected to miss four more weeks. He is scheduled to return when Florida faces Tennessee on Sept. 21.

“Jon Halapio continues to progress well. I think he’ll be cleared for Tennessee. To have that open week before that game, I think that will give him enough time to fill in that pec there,” Muschamp said.

Redshirt senior Kyle Koehne will start for Halapio until he returns with redshirt junior Ian Silberman serving as the second-string right guard.

Redshirt junior Mack Brown was listed as the starting running back in the opening week depth chart released on Monday with sophomore Mark Herndon and redshirt sophomore Valdez Showers also expected to receive carries against Toledo.