As a five-star signee out of high school, offensive lineman Martez Ivey arrived at UF last year with lofty expectations from the Florida fan base.

However, the injury bug took its toll on the Apopka (Fla.) native throughout his freshman season. A couple weeks into 2015 fall camp, Ivey suffered a slight tear in the meniscus of his left knee and then underwent arthroscopic surgery. After missing Florida’s first two regular season games, Ivey made his debut in SEC action with a minimal role against Kentucky – and following his first appearance served as a regular in UF’s offensive line rotation throughout the 2015 campaign.

Although Ivey managed to start Florida’s final eight games of the 2015 season at left guard, he began experiencing some discomfort in both shoulders later on in the year. During the Gators’ final few games, one could tell that Ivey was battling through discomfort while playing a significant role for a struggling offensive line.