Florida took a pounding within the press this past week with an accumulation of stories mentioning the reality that five contributors of the soccer program, which includes 4 players, had been accused of violence in opposition to girls. The most recent revelation worried John Huggins, who become accused past due final year via a woman coach of choking her after the nineteen-yr-vintage student confiscated the participant’s mobile phone. For anything cause, even though the alleged sufferer declined to pursue charges towards Huggins, conversely, the protecting back didn’t play in the closing five video games of the ultimate season after the incident, reputedly serving a previously unreported suspension.
Fast-ahead to 2019 and Huggins had remained far from the team for the reason that begins of summer camp this month as he persevered to deal with what becomes simplest being described as a “circle of relatives situation” that head educate Dan Mullen said was unrelated to the accusations a yr ago; that sabbatical will reputedly come to be permanent, however, because it’s now being stated that Huggins has been brushed off from the Gators.
Huggins turned into a three-megastar member of the Gators’ 2018 recruiting magnificence, rated as the No. 28 safety within the united states of America. He played within the first eight games of his actual freshman season earlier than his non-suspension suspension went into effect.
Before the off-area troubles coming to mild, Huggins had been expected to play an expanded position in Florida’s ever-thinning secondary this coming season. As for the opposite incidents regarding members of the UF software because Mullen took over? Four-big name 2018 signee Justin Watkins become arrested two times in a -month span final 12 months. The first became on a misdemeanor fee of trespassing on college grounds after a verbal argument with an unidentified lady became violent. Watkins shattered the girl’s cellular phone, kicked her automobile, and attempted to permit the air out of her tires.
The second becomes even extra critical as Watkins become arrested and booked on four charges, which include a pair of third-diploma felonies (fake imprisonment/kidnapping and home battery via strangulation) as well as misdemeanors (first-degree battery), after allegedly pinning his girlfriend to a bed, punching her with a closed fist and choking her on 3 separate events. He introduced in the past due July of closing year that he turned into leaving UF “to higher my opportunities.”
In early May of this yr, it becomes said that four-famous person 2019 signee Jalon Jones had been accused of using an unnamed girl for sexually assaulting her in the early morning hours of April 6. It was finally unearthed that another unnamed female had accused the UF quarterback of sexually assaulting her that equal day as nicely at the same on-campus house as the first alleged victim. As became the case with Watkins, Jones left UF and, in the end, landed at an FCS faculty.
Otis Yelverton was arrested in April on one be counted of aggravated cyberstalking, which also caused his dismissal as UF’s assistant director of player personnel. It becomes alleged on the time that some of the forty-plus calls, Facebook messages, and texts the 51-12 months-vintage Yelverton sent/made to his former lady friend, one protected a hazard to explode her car. Late ultimate week, and citing “inadequate evidence to preserve a conviction,” the State’s Attorney’s Office formally dismissed the case against Yelverton.
In May, protective lower back Brian Edwards was arrested on one count of misdemeanor battery after allegedly abusing his female friend. However, costs had been by no means formally filed due to inadequate evidence. Edwards entered the NCAA switch portal in early July and transferred to Central Michigan a month later.