Treon Harris, Jalen Tabor Suspended by Florida: Latest Details, Reaction
Florida Gators quarterback Treon Harris and cornerback Jalen Tabor have been suspended for the team's SEC showdown with Tennessee on Saturday, reportedly for drug-related violations.
Gators head coach Jim McElwain announced Wednesday that Harris and Tabor would be banned for the Volunteers game.
"They won't be with us this week. We need some guys to step up. They'll be back next week," said McElwain, per Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun. McElwain added, "I'm not angry at them at all. They had a choice. It hurts. We have a lot of guys who [care] about this team."
ESPN's Brett McMurphy outlined the specifics as to why Harris and Tabor are being disciplined:
Tabor tweeted, then later deleted, a tweet which stated: "Never believe what you read, uf athletic association sucks", as passed along by Morgan Moriarty of Uproxx Sports.
Wes Rucker of 247Sports weighed in on what the key losses mean for Florida as it pertains to Saturday's contest:
This marks the second time in less than a year Harris has encountered an off-field issue of some sort. The sophomore signal-caller was on indefinite suspension in October 2014 because of a sexual assault allegation, though Harris was reinstated four days later after his accuser withdrew her complaint.
Tabor is also a sophomore and a solid starter whose presence will be missed. Quincy Wilson seems best suited to step into Tabor's role. At least the Gators have a legitimate star cornerback in probable 2016 first-round NFL draft pick Vernon Hargreaves III to lock down one side of the field.
As for Florida's all-important QB position, Harris has been splitting time with redshirt freshman Will Grier, who played for the entirety of last week's 14-9 road win over Kentucky.
Although Harris has shown more of a knack for generating explosive plays, Grier sports superior size (6'2", 201 lbs) and has managed to avoid trouble away from the gridiron. If Grier plays well Saturday and guides the Gators to a victory, he will make a compelling case to remain atop the depth chart.
