If there was a point when Ole Miss’ afternoon in the Swamp went from difficult to disastrous, it came with 3:44 left in the second quarter. The Rebels were already trailing 10-3 when Joenel Aguero made a play he would soon wish he could take back.
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With Florida quarterback Aaron Philo throwing toward Bailey Stockton, Aguero arrived and delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit that sent the wide receiver crashing to the ground. He stayed down as the play came to a pause, and then the situation got even uglier.
After a close look, the officials ruled it targeting, and under college football rules, that meant Aguero was automatically ejected. For the Ole Miss defense, this is the last thing they needed.
As their main starting safety, his exit forced the Rebels to scramble and adjust their deep coverage for the entire second half, giving Florida’s offense way more room to breathe.
This ejection, although wasn’t his first brush with targeting controversy. The Ole Miss safety was previously ejected during the 2024 clash against the Texas Longhorns, marking the first such incident of his college career.
Playing as a sophomore for the Bulldogs, Aguero was flagged after a fourth-quarter hit on Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner. Although officials initially allowed play to continue, a replay review confirmed targeting, triggering his automatic ejection.
Meanwhile, when he was ejected, Stockton remained on the turf for a minute or two as athletic trainers rushed to his aid. Moments later, cameras captured the Florida wideout making his way towards the Gators’ sideline with one arm around a team trainer, heading for further medical evaluation.
Before leaving the field, however, Stockton had already made his presence felt, finishing as Florida’s joint-leading receiver with three catches for 24 yards.
His biggest contribution came on his first grab of the afternoon, a 14-yard reception down the left side on second-and-7 that brought the Gators within striking distance of the Rebels’ red zone.
Aguero’s availability for the next game remains uncertain, but there is some relief for Florida as Stockton appears to have escaped the tackle without a serious injury.
Bailey Stockton’s Injury Status Following Joenel Aguero’s Ejection
After the brutal injury, Stockton was helped off the field by a member of Florida’s training staff before being escorted to the team’s medical tent for further evaluation. ESPN’s Katie George later reported that the Gators had to move another of their fellow receivers, Vernell Brown III, out of the tent to make room for the injured wide receiver.
According to Katie George’s report, Stockton appeared to be doing well despite the heavy collision. Emerging from the medical tent, the receiver asked for his helmet, put it on, and began jogging along the sidelines, seemingly preparing to return to action.
“Bailey Stockton is a heckuva football player, one of the toughest kids you’ll ever be around,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said earlier this season. “He’s been in some loaded wide receiver rooms, so we have zero doubt. If he’s gonna play 90 snaps, he’ll go out there and give you everything he’s got for 90 snaps. He knows the offense, he’s faster than you think, he gets open probably as good as anybody.”
Jon Sumrall himself provided an update after the game, and it is encouraging.
“So injury-wise, Bailey (Stockton), on the shot, on the targeting call, he took a pretty significant shot to his back. Doesn’t look like anything that should keep him out long-term; he came back in and obviously had the punt return. But he just wasn’t quite himself, and so didn’t play a whole lot there in the second half.
Sumrall’s update was particularly important because Florida was already dealing with multiple injuries at wide receiver.
Vernell Brown III left the game in the second quarter with what Sumrall described as a “little knee tweak.” Brown finished with three catches for 25 yards, but Sumrall said nothing was torn and he felt good about him potentially being available moving forward.
Eric Singleton Jr. is another receiver dealing with an ankle injury and entered the game as a game-time decision. He returned in the second half, recording one reception for 38 yards and drawing a pass interference penalty, although his role was limited.
As for Stockton, Dr. Ribu Thomas has offered an outside assessment of his frightening collision.
“Path A: a lower back contusion or muscle strain,” Dr. Thomas said. “Sore for several days, and he’s back once he can sprint, jump and take contact without guarding. Path B: imaging shows something structural, or head symptoms show up, and he’s out for a stretch. Takeaway: when a receiver gets folded in midair, how it looks is the scary part. What imaging and the next 24 hours show is what decides it.”
Thomas’s assessment shows why Stockton’s encouraging movement along the sideline doesn’t mean he is fully out of danger. Further evaluation might be needed to provide a clearer picture.
With Florida already thin at wide receiver due to injuries, losing a tough target like Stockton, even briefly, shows just how thin their margins are as they look to pull off statement upsets down the stretch.