Weatherford likely out for the rest of spring

Starting quarterback Drew Weatherford has a slight tear in the lateral meniscus in his right knee and will likely miss the rest of spring practice.

Weatherford watched Wednesday's scrimmage with a soft brace on his right knee, and he said after practice that he is leaning towards having surgery as soon as Friday.

"We're probably going to make the decision by the end of the week whether or not I'm going to be able to come back out, and it doesn't look like I'm going to be, so I'm probably going to have surgery as soon as possible," he said.

The injury happened during last Saturday's scrimmage when linebacker Dekoda Watson attempted to strip the ball as Weatherford was running.

"I want to be out here as much as anybody does and just get better, but nothing is going to happen but just hurt myself, damage it more than it already is so that would be a smart thing," Weatherford said. "We are trying to take some time to see if it heals a little bit, but ultimately I'm going to have to have surgery at some point."

The rising redshirt senior has started 33 games in his career, and coach Bobby Bowden said he wasn't worried about Weatherford potentially missing the rest of spring practice because it opens the door for rising redshirt sophomores Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson to get extra repetitions with the first and second team offenses.

"The other guys need the work. I think the best thing right now is to get the other guys as much work," Bowden said.