Florida Football: Gators Need 5-Star Martez Ivey to Make Immediate Impact

Here's hoping 5-star incoming freshman Martez Ivey gets acclimated to college life at Florida quickly, because he's about to get a crash course in collegiate football. 

The crown jewel of the Gators' 2015 recruiting class was already projected to contribute in some way as freshman, but his role along the offensive line may have grown without him even having stepped on campus yet. In an official release, Florida confirmed that offensive lineman Rod Johnson's career is officially over after being diagnosed with congenital cervical stenosis, a narrowing of the spine.

Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun reports that the injury occurred on April 3 in what was originally believed to be a stinger-type injury. 

"

4/3/15 will tat it on me my last play in the swamp saw that white light when I went down and I stood and walk off the field with pride

— Rod Johnson #⃣5⃣5⃣ (@Almighty_rod55) April 14, 2015"

Below is the statement from Florida, courtesy of John Taylor at College Football Talk:

"

The condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal enveloping the spinal cord, preventing enough fluid to gather around the spinal cord to properly protect it from injury.

Cervical stenosis ended the career of New York Giants running back David Wilson last year and forced Cooper Manning, the brother of NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, to retire from football during his college career at Ole Miss.

"

As sad as this is for Johnson, it leaves Florida in a tough spot. Depth at offensive line was already at a premium, and Johnson's departure makes a dire situation even worse. 

Just how big is Johnson's career-ending injury? He was a projected starter at right tackle, per Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports, and was one of only two players along the O-line with starting experience. He played in every game for the Gators last year, notching three starts. 

Trip Thurman, a starter of 10 games last season at guard who is projected to make the move to center, has been out with a shoulder injury. 

"That's a big loss to the team," quarterback Treon Harris said of Johnson, via Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. "Rod was coming back for his third year; it'd be his second year on the field. That loss killed us a lot, so we have to get the young guys ready and the guys coming in in the summer ready to go."

Offensive line experience is paramount. It's the one unit on the field, if there ever was one, that must grow together. Now, head coach Jim McElwain is struggling just field a complete starting five.

The good news is that reinforcements are on their way. McElwain saw what he was dealing with and closed a recruiting class that was heavy on offensive linemen.

The not-so-great news is that many, if not all, of these freshmen will be thrown into the fire right away. Duty calls, and these '15 recruits are being called upon. 

McElwain can adjust practices to make sure depth concerns are addressed—you limit the number of scrimmage snaps and modify practice structures. Once you get into the season, however, that's no longer in your control. 

This means players like Ivey have to digest concepts faster and be able to execute them immediately. It's not always fair to have to bring someone along that quickly, but that's the world McElwain's Gators live in now. 

This has gone from a situation where Ivey could contribute some while he learns the ropes of the game to one where he could be asked to rotate in, or even start, on a regular basis. 

Of course, the possibility of playing right away is probably exciting to Ivey. This should be what he's dreamed about for years. That's the right attitude to have, but the real test will be whether he (and everyone else) can keep that attitude while taking on growing pains. 

Ready or not, Ivey is going to see the field this fall. Given his high recruiting ranking, there's hope that he'll be more ready than not. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.