GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida will enter the LSU game with seven starters already ruled out for the contest, including starting quarterback Luke Del Rio (shoulder).

Coach Jim McElwain confirmed Monday that center Cameron Dillard (left knee), left tackle David Sharpe (right foot), defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. (right ankle), linebackers Alex Anzalone (broken left arm) and Jarrad Davis (ankle) and safety Marcus Maye (broken arm) are all expected to miss Saturday's game. Two others, starting offensive lineman Tyler Jordan (right ankle) and defensive end CeCe Jefferson (ankle) are also questionable.

"Hope to get (CeCe Jefferson) back. He could get some limited reps," coach Jim McElwain said. "I know how much it means to him. I don’t know, I’m not a doctor, but I do anticipate him trying to do everything he can to play, which would be good for us up front in this type of game. Tyler Jordan went down early in that game. We’ll see where that is. There are some guys who possibly could [play]. But it’s a decision they have to make with our doctors and trainers, to see if they want to go make a run at it."

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With as many as three starting offensive lineman out, Florida's makeshift line that held up relatively well against South Carolina will really be put to the test. McElwain praised the replacements who came in Saturday, which included redshirt freshman backup center T.J. McCoy and redshirt sophomore Kavaris Harkless.

"They came here to play and I think they played at a real high level. I was really proud of them," McElwain said. "I think the offensive line being down the way it was, and you know, T.J. McCoy came in – he was our third center at the beginning of the year – and I thought he battled his tail off. (Martez Ivey) did a really good job at left tackle, and then I can’t say enough about Kavaris Harkless, who has kind of been a guy who plays all those spots and came in and really competed. I thought that was good."

Defensively, Florida will be tasked with stopping two of the nation's top running backs in Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice without the heart of its defense in the middle. Freshman linebacker David Reese and Kylan Johnson filled in well, as did veteran safeties Marcell Harris and Nick Washington.

The Gators haven't been very good on the road against quality teams under Jim McElwain, though, and this week will represent a big test with LSU now favored by 14 points.

"Guys, this is obviously a big ballgame," McElwain said. "The team we’re playing, when you look at the preseason deals with the talent they have on that roster, I think they were about the team that should be playing in the playoffs and rightfully so when you look at the roster and the players. They’ve got a bunch of real guys, now. It’s a really good football team. We’ll take our guys in there, the ones who are able to get on the bus, and we’ll go play. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the fun part."

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Contact Thomas Goldkamp by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @ThomasGoldkamp.