Perspective on Easley's injury

Yeesh. The bad luck continues for the Florida Gators on the injury front. Dominique Easley has a "tweaked" right knee, according to head coach Will Muschamp. But the smoke on Twitter is starting to point at something much more serious.

MT @MR_ChUcKiE_2: Gatornation thank you for all of 4 yrs of sticking wi th me but god has something else planned for and have no worries
— Alligator Army (@AlligatorArmy) September 25, 2013

And if that's not enough, former UF offensive lineman Shannon Snell threw in his two cents as well.

If it's true what I was told about him, I'm going to need something a little heavier than koolaide to drink tonight.
— Shannon Snell (@theebigbossSS) September 25, 2013

Yea, I can confirm Easley tore his ACL. Yikes. @onlygators
— Shannon Snell (@theebigbossSS) September 25, 2013

Assuming the news is true, and Easley is done for the year, it would seem that Jay-nard Bostwick is next in line to move into the rotation. Muschamp has already expressed that the staff has come close to playing Bostwick on multiple occasions this year, but it appears there was still some hope that the 6-foot-3, 305-pound freshman out of Port St. Lucie would redshirt. That scenario would seem unlikely now.

In terms of losing a defensive lineman the caliber of Easley, you would have to go all the way back to 2006. Marcus Thomas, in the midst of a dominant, All-American level senior campaign, was suspended from the team before a trip to Vanderbilt in November and ultimately dismissed. The Gators had already lost back-up tackle Javier Estopinan to a knee injury against Alabama earlier in the season. After shortening the rotation up front to just six men (Jarvis Moss, Derrick Harvey, Ray McDonald, Steven Harris, Joe Cohen and Clint McMillan), Florida was able to hang on for the final six games while only giving up 15.1 points per game on the way to a National Championship.

To find a similar injury in terms of impact, you have to go back a little farther, to 1998. Ed Chester, a projected first-round pick (like Easley), went down with a gruesome knee injury in an October home game against LSU (whose offensive linemen decided to aim for Chester's legs all night long, a classy gesture on their part). His football career ended in the Swamp that night. The Gators were deeper up front that particular year, and were able to continue with a nine-man rotation the remainder of the season. Derrick Chambers took Chester's spot in the starting lineup, and joined a group that included Tim Beauchamp, Willie Cohens and Reggie McGrew. The back-ups included Thaddeus Bullard (you know him now as Titus O'Neil), Jayme Campbell, Anthony Mitchell and Gerard Warren. Florida gave up just 11.7 points per game in the final six games down the stretch. But a team that had a national-title caliber defense (easily the best in Spurrier's 12 seasons as HBC) ultimately would have to settle for a 10-2 record and finish as the 1999 Orange Bowl Champions.

So can the Gators overcome this loss? History says yes, although I'm not sure there's a defensive tackle on the roster with the talent of a Reggie McGrew, Gerard Warren or Ray McDonald right now. The young guys are going to have to step up a little sooner than hoped, now that the unquestioned leader of the Florida defense appears to be gone for the year. Send some thoughts the way of Dominique Easley this afternoon, as the big man prepares for what could be season-ending surgery in the coming days.