Redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Dunkley has been suspended for academic reasons, Florida coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday.
Muschamp added that Dunkley has been suspended for “parts” of spring rather than the whole spring season.
“He just academically needs to handle some things,” Muschamp said. “So that’s where we are right now.”
Dunkley came to UF as a four-star prospect and the No. 9-rated wide receiver in the country, according to Rivals.com.
He caught 34 passes for 721 yards and four touchdowns in his senior season at Pahokee High but was hampered by a nagging hamstring injury that led to his eventual redshirt last season.
POSITION CHANGES: As Florida undergoes sweeping transitions on both sides of the ball, some of the Gators are making changes of their own.
Gerald Christian spent his freshman year working at tight end before switching to linebacker this spring.
But now, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound sophomore is consistently taking snaps on both sides of the ball.
“(Christian has) done some nice things for us at tight end, and we’re going to continue to rep him in there at linebacker,” Muschamp said.
Muschamp praised Christian for his effort and performance on both units, adding the decision on Christian’s permanent position will be made after the spring season concludes.
“He’s battling in there,” Muschamp said. “(His) head’s spinning a lot and working awful hard.”
Other players whose roles are changing include sophomores Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs, who have spent time at safety after working exclusively at cornerback in their freshman seasons.
Florida’s offensive line has also been mixed up this spring, as sophomore and former tackle Ian Silberman has made the permanent shift to guard and redshirt freshman Chaz Green is playing at both tackle spots.
Sophomore Jonotthan Harrison has also seen his role change, as the former guard has been working at center throughout the spring.
INJURY UPDATE: Muschamp added another name to Florida’s growing list of spring injuries Tuesday.
Freshman cornerback De’Ante Saunders strained a hamstring in a recent practice, putting a damper on what Muschamp called “a really nice spring.”
Saunders joins a litany of running backs and offensive linemen who have missed practice time due to injury.
Currently, redshirt senior Chris Rainey is the only running back involved in spring practice, and Muschamp said last week that UF had only seven functional offensive linemen.
The lack of linemen could lead to a few changes in the Orange and Blue Debut, Muschamp joked Tuesday.
“I may line up at left tackle,” Muschamp said. “I wouldn’t want to be the blindside there, but we’ll be fine. The kids will work through it and we’ll manage it.”
