Florida Gators’ offensive line suffers blow

Florida’s paper-thin offensive line can ill-afford any significant setbacks, but the patchwork unit suffered a big blow Thursday.

Five-star freshman Martez Ivey, who was competing for a starting job at left tackle, will undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday to “clean up a pre-existing” leg injury, coach Jim McElwain said.

Ivey is sidelined indefinitely and his return date is unknown, said McElwain, who refused to offer specifics of the injury.

“It doesn’t appear to be a season-ending thing or anything like that,” he said.

Still, it’s a major loss for a unit counting on the nation’s top offensive line recruit.

Now, sophomore David Sharpe will flip to left tackle and Fordham transfer Mason Halter and freshman Fred Johnson, a West Palm Beach native, will compete for the opening at right tackle.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Florida Gators’ offensive line suffers blow."