7 Gators suspended for Florida vs. Michigan, including star WR Antonio Callaway

Jim McElwain made the announcement on Sunday.

Florida will be without one of its top offensive playmakers, wide receiver/kick returner Antonio Callaway, and six other players as it faces Michigan for its 2017 season opener in Arlington, Texas. On Sunday afternoon, the team announced the suspensions of Callaway along with six other players. Head coach Jim McElwain released the following statement, with little details on the reasoning behind the suspensions.

"We have a small group of players that have made some choices that are extremely disappointing. Action has been taken - they have missed some practice and will miss the Michigan game. We will use this as a learning opportunity and we will have some players step up as we move forward."

According to the Associated Press, the reasoning behind the suspensions is reportedly for “misusing school-issued funds.” ESPN further reported that the players bought items with their university student IDs at the school bookstore and then sold them for cash.

The other players suspended include offensive linemen Kadeem Telfort and Richerd Desir-Jones, linebackers James Houston and Ventrell Miller, and defensive linemen Jordan Smith and Keivonnis Davis.

The biggest blow here is obviously the loss of Callaway, who is one of Florida’s most dangerous weapons on offense, accounting for 721 yards and three touchdowns, along with 218 yards returned. In May, Callaway was cited for marijuana possession, but he was not suspended from the team, and McElwain stated he was dealing with the situation internally, without a public announcement of discipline.

The team’s leading receiver has missed time before. He was suspended from the team, along with former quarterback Treon Harris, in Jan. 2016 in the wake of a sexual assault claim made against the two.

Callaway previously admitted to smoking marijuana on the night of his alleged sexual assault of a woman as part of a student conduct code hearing that ultimately found him not responsible for sexual assault.

He did not practice with the team that spring, but returned to classes during the summer and participated fully in fall practice.

Here’s Alligator Army’s take on the situation:

Of the seven players suspended, Callaway is by far the most important to the Gators’ chances of winning football games. The junior playmaker was Florida’s leading receiver in 2017 and is regarded as one of the better upperclassmen wide receivers in college football, with his future likely to include a selection in the 2018 NFL Draft.

But a pattern of poor choices on Callaway’s part will give NFL teams doubts about making that selection. Whatever led to this suspension follows that citation for possession and, far more seriously, a much-publicized offseason suspension in 2016 stemming from an alleged sexual assault that led to Callaway being cleared through a controversial Title IX hearing that Callaway’s alleged victim boycotted over claims of impropriety.

Desir-Jones saw playing time in two games last season on the offensive line, but switched to defensive line this season. Miller, Houston, and Smith are freshman, but Davis earned five starts last season.