Quarterback Treon Harris transfers from UF
Treon Harris, a former standout quarterback at Miami’s Booker T. Washington High, will transfer from the University of Florida, the school confirmed Monday.
Harris, who had not practiced with the team since January while serving a university-sanctioned suspension, was expected to move to wide receiver this season due to heavy competition at quarterback and his lackluster performance at the position over his first two years.
The 5-11, 201-pound quarterback completed 50.3 percent of his passes for 2,695 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 21 games career games, including 15 starts. He also rushed for 570 yards with three touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass from teammate Antonio Callaway in the Gators’ 41-7 loss in the Citrus Bowl. He was 9-6 as a starter.
As a freshman, Harris replaced a struggling Jeff Driskel late in the third quarter against Tennessee in Week 4 and led the Gators to a 10-9 come-from-behind victory. He went on to start Florida’s final six games of the season.
Last season, Harris fell into the backup role again, this time in favor of redshirt freshman Will Grier. But Harris found himself back at the helm when Grier was handed a yearlong suspension for violating the NCAA’s performance-enhancing drug policy on Oct. 12.
After Florida started the season 6-0 and cracked into the top 10 of the AP poll for the first time since 2013, the Gators finished 4-4 in their final eight games with Harris at quarterback. In its final three games — losses to Florida State, Alabama in the SEC Championship and Michigan in the Citrus Bowl — UF’s offense scored just two touchdowns. Harris completed 36 of his 87 pass attempts (41.4 percent) with one touchdown and two interceptions.
While Harris’ UF career was riddled with inconsistency on the field, it was also marred with off-the-field issues.
In addition to university-sanction suspension for violating the school’s code of conduct policy, Harris was also suspended for a game last season for violation of team rules.
He was accused of sexual battery and suspended after the Tennessee win in 2014, but his accuser withdrew her complaint within days, and Harris was immediately reinstated.
Harris came to UF as a four-star recruit out of Booker T. Washington, where he led the school to back-to-back Class 4A state championships as a junior and senior.
Harris is the seventh quarterback to transfer away from the program over the last five year, joining a list that includes Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Murphy, Max Staver, Driskel, Skyler Mornhinweg and Grier. All but Staver were committed to or recruited by Will Muschamp’s staff.
Should Harris transfer to another Division I program, he will have to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Harris will be immediately eligible to compete if he transfers to a Football Championship Subdivision school or a junior college.
UF has four quarterbacks on its roster competing for the starting job: Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio, graduate transfer Austin Appleby and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask.
This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Quarterback Treon Harris transfers from UF."