When Florida opens spring practice on Wednesday, it will be without two notable players.
Head coach Jim McElwain announced Tuesday that Treon Harris and Antonio Callaway have not been with the team since January. McElwain did not offer specifics, but the coach said the two have been “doing schoolwork.”
“They’re still doing some schoolwork and that kind of stuff, but they haven’t been with us since January,” McElwain said. “You won’t see those guys out there at practice and that’ll be the last we talk about that.”
McElwain would not say if the players are suspended, but a team spokesman told the Associated Press confirmed that the two are indeed suspended, but it's unclear if the discipline is being handed down by the university or the football program.
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Harris, a junior, entered last season in a competition to be the Gators’ starting quarterback but has reportedly moved to wide receiver. According to the Orlando Sentinel, McElwain said Tuesday that a position switch was indeed a possibility.
Harris fell behind Will Grier on the quarterback depth chart in 2015 but became the team’s starter when Grier was suspended by the NCAA for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Once Grier, who later transferred, was suspended, Harris struggled and finished the season with 1,676 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions while completing just 50.6 percent of his passes.
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With Harris out of the picture for now, McElwain said Luke Del Rio currently has a “leg up” in the team’s quarterback competition. Purdue transfer Austin Appleby is also in the mix. Del Rio, who began his career at Alabama and also had a stint at Oregon State, impressed McElwain as a scout team quarterback throughout the 2015 season.
Meanwhile, Callaway emerged as one of the team’s top receivers as a true freshman. He finished his first season with 35 catches and led the Gators with 678 yards. He also had four receiving touchdowns and returned two punts for scores.
For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
