Florida football WR Kahleil Jackson granted medical hardship to return to UF

Florida football wide receiver Kahleil Jackson has received an NCAA eligibility medical hardship waiver for a seventh season to play for the Florida Gators.

Jackson suffered a torn ACL during UF’s 41-17 loss to Miami at The Swamp on Aug. 31, 2024, an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of 2024 season and the entire 2025 season. He’s undergone two surgeries on his knee since the injury, including one before the start of the 2025 campaign.

A former Hawthorne High quarterback, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Jackson won a starting job at receiver for Florida in 2023 and enjoyed his best season, finishing the year with 21 catches for 251 yards and 1 TD. Overall, Jackson has recorded 24 catches for 307 yards and 1 TD in three active seasons at UF.

Jackson is the son of former Florida standout and NFL receiver Willie Jackson Jr. and the grandson of Willie Jackson Sr., the first black player in UF football history in 1970. He wears the number 22 in honor of both his father and grandfather.

As one of 14 receivers on UF’s 2026 roster, Jackson will compete for playing time with returning starters Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson and incoming transfers Eric Singleton (Auburn), Baily Stockton (Georgia Tech), Micah Mays Jr. (Wake Forest) and Jaylen Lloyd (Oklahoma State).

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football WR Kahleil Jackson gets 7th season after ACL injury