![Florida Gators cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson (2), Florida Gators safety Jordan Castell (14), Florida Gators outside linebacker Jack Pyburn (44), Florida Gators inside linebacker Deuce Spurlock II (22), and Florida Gators safety Ja'Markis Weston (82) wait for the kickoff during the second half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9a92252e4fcd1496cdb99687b39ed79875728c646687f65723ec40e90a2fff11.jpg "Florida Gators cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson (2), Florida Gators safety Jordan Castell (14), Florida Gators outside linebacker Jack Pyburn (44), Florida Gators inside linebacker Deuce Spurlock II (22), and Florida Gators safety Ja'Markis Weston (82) wait for the kickoff during the second half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game")
As Florida football winds through its Fall Camp, injuries have been a theme. Shemar James, Kelby Collins, and Dante Zanders have all taken knocks but should be okay in time for the opening game against Utah.
Justus Boone did not get so lucky, and he will miss the 2023 season following a torn ACL.
And as life goes in the world of football, when one goes down, it means the next man has to step up, and for Florida, Jack Pyburn is the next man up.
Florida Football: Fueled by Red Bull
We have highlighted Pyburn a couple of times on this site. He was one of the five Gators we said needed a breakout year in 2023, or they risked being forgotten about as new talent continues to pour into Gainesville.
He was a higher-rated three-star prospect out of The Bolles School in Jacksonville and was considered a top-40 defensive end in the class of 2022. But if you have ever seen his senior year highlight film, you know that Pyburn is a Red Bull fueled player that plays at full throttle on every single play.
One particular player Billy Napier highlighted in his roll call of off-season gains was redshirt freshman Jack Pyburn.
— Hail Florida Hail (@HailFloridaHail) July 30, 2023
10 pounds of muscle added and 6% drop in body fat.
If you have never watched his senior highlight film from high school, it’s four minutes of this. pic.twitter.com/1sdeHTg0RJ
Bolles blitzes and forces them sack fumble by Jack Pyburn @JackPyburn1 4:00 to play 4th Bolles 32 -27! Over St Augustine pic.twitter.com/SFTUcYefDM
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) September 11, 2021
At the half: Bolles 14, Gadsden 0. Jack Pyburn with a half-ending sack. Time drained off the clock and the Jaguars didn’t have a timeout to stop it. pic.twitter.com/zuHGUU8fFm
— Juston W. Lewis (@JustonLewis_) November 20, 2021
The people who rank and rate players would probably point to something Pyburn did at camp or something with his technique as to why he was rated a three-star, but no one would have blinked if he had been rated a top 200 player in his class.
Last season Pyburn was on special teams, but Napier has praised Pyburn for his work in the weight room over the summer, and Pyburn was a force during Florida’s scrimmage on Thursday, picking up multiple sacks.
MORE FROM YESTERDAYS SCRIMMAGE: #Gators DE Jack Pyburn went OFF in the absence of Justus Boone and had 3 sacks off the EDGE😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/HzcURRZsoM
— ChompCentral (@ChompCentral) August 11, 2023
Fair or not, the injury to Boone more than likely bumps Pyburn up as a starter against Utah. But based on everything we have seen and heard about the 6’3″ and 253-pound machine, he seems ready for the opportunity.