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Antonio Callaway and Treon Harris have been absent from the Gators since January and will miss the beginning of spring practice.
March 8, 2016Antonio Callaway and Treon Harris have been absent from the Gators since January and will miss the beginning of spring practice.
Nothing like starting spring practice without two lynchpins in the offense. Alas, that’s the state of play for the Florida Gators, whose offseason practice will kick off on Wednesday without both Antonio Callaway and Treon Harris.
When speaking with the media on Tuesday, Florida head coach Jim McElwain failed to give specifics on the two players, acknowledging nothing more than they’ve been away from the program since January. Essentially, McElwain isn’t saying Callaway and Harris have been suspended from the team … but he’s also not not saying it.
This isn’t Harris’ first time running himself into the doghouse. In fact, it’s become somewhat of an annual tradition. In 2014 he missed a game against LSU following accusations of sexual assault. Then last season Harris sat out one game for reportedly failing a drug test. At least he’s getting this year’s indiscretion out of the way early, Gators fans.
After two subpar seasons at quarterback, it’s expected that Harris will convert to wide receiver. He’ll practice at wideout if and when he ever returns to the field.
As for Callaway, he was one of the bright spots for a terribly inconsistent offense last season. The freshman proved himself a threat in both the receiving game (35 receptions, 678 yard and four touchdowns) and the return game (two punt return touchdowns). Following the early departure of Demarcus Robinson, Callaway was expected to be the No. 1 receiver and a safety net for whomever is named the team’s starting quarterback.
While McElwain didn’t specifically state why the two players have been away from the team, his comment that both are “doing schoolwork” will lead to speculation that the absences are related to academics (whether true or not). It’s the ol’ coaching trick of saying just enough without completely hurling players’ bodies under the metaphorical bus.
Between the team’s quarterback battle and missing wideouts, Florida’s offense figures to look more like a scout team practice than a team ironing out the details this spring. At least it’s only March.
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