Florida 2014 news

Florida announced that six offensive players -- sophomore tight end Kent Taylor, true freshman quarterback Max Staver, redshirt freshman fullback Rhaheim Ledbetter and offensive linemen Quinteze Williams, freshman offensive lineman Trevon Young, and junior offensive lineman Ian Silberman -- will transfer.

Head coach Will Muschamp confirmed Wednesday evening that safety Cody Riggs has decided to bid adieu to the UF football program. While Muschamp would not detail the specific reasons behind the transfer, the Gainesville Sun wrote earlier in the day that “Riggs wants to go transfer to a school where he’ll have a chance to play the wide cornerback position.”

Florida offensive lineman Octavius Jackson is calling it a career after undergoing surgery in January on a chronically injured shoulder, the Gainesville Sun reported on Monday.

He is going for the Carlos Huerta record, most years in college

As expected, Andre Debose will extend his playing career at Florida for one more season.

The Gators confirmed via Twitter Wednesday night that the NCAA approved the wide receiver’s medical hardship waiver. As a result, Debose has received a sixth season of eligibility and will play for the Gators in 2014.

Florida is losing a player who can play on both sides of the football to a transfer. According to a report by The Gainesville Sun, redshirt freshman Marqui Hawkins is leaving the Gators and will transfer to another football program. Hawkins could play wide receiver and safety.

Florida’s offense got itself a nice boost on Friday, with tight end Jake McGee announcing he’s headed to Gainesville as a graduate student transfer, meaning he’ll be eligible to play this coming fall for the Gators.

Gators release Colin Thompson
Highly-recruited tight end was plagued by injuries

Colin Thompson never caught a pass for the University of Florida and now he never will.

Thompson, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end from Warminster, Pa., will transfer after two seasons in Gainesville. 247 Sports first reported the decision and it was confirmed on Friday by Florida officials.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced on Monday the Gators will play the 2014 season without one of their top incoming recruits available on the defensive line. Defensive tackle Thomas Holley will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a hip labral tear that was suffered during high school.

A rather bizarre story unfolded Saturday, with Florida defensive lineman Leon Orr opting to make the trek back to Gainesville from Nashville on game day instead of coming off the bench as had been the norm.

The fact that Orr chose to abandon his team was stunning. The fact that his head coach reacted the way he did wasn’t.

Following UF’s win over Vanderbilt, head coach Will Muschamp made it perfectly clear that the defensive lineman no longer had a spot on his team.

“Leon hasn’t started since the Alabama game,” Muschamp said of the Sept. 20 loss to the Tide. “He hasn’t started all week in practice, and he came to me [Saturday] and didn’t understand why he wasn’t starting. He said he was going to go home, and that was his decision. I said, ‘If you go home, you’re done. You’re not a Florida Gator anymore.'