UF to start QB Jeff Driskel vs. LSU

ByJeff Barlis ESPN logo
Thursday, October 9, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Will Muschamp on Wednesday named Jeff Driskel his starting quarterback for Saturday night's home game against LSU.

Muschamp said he and his staff had not made that decision until after true freshman quarterback Treon Harris was put on an indefinite suspension by the University of Florida Athletic Association on Monday.

Harris is under investigation by the University of Florida police department after he was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student early on Sunday morning.

"Jeff will start the game," Muschamp said. "We had not made a decision off the last game, who would start the game. Jeff was going to play in the game, I do know that."

Coming off the bench in last Saturday's Tennessee game to relieve a struggling Driskel, Harris sparked the offense to its only points of the day and rallied the Gators to a 10-9 victory on the road.

Hours later, university police were called to Harris' dormitory in the Springs Residential Complex.

Because of the timetable of the investigation, Harris will not play for the Gators on Saturday, his attorney said on Wednesday.

"Based on the fact that the case has to be resolved with the state attorney's office and with the university, there is no way that he is going to play this weekend," Harris' Gainesville attorney, Huntley Johnson, told ESPN.

Harris won the backup job in UF's preseason camp in August, beating out fellow true freshman Will Grier and sophomore Skyler Mornhinweg, who started the final three games for UF last season after injuries to Driskel and his backup, Tyler Murphy.

Muschamp said playing two quarterbacks again this Saturday against LSU is still a possibility, reiterating what he said last week before the Tennessee game: "We're going to do what we need to to win the game.

"As we continue to practice today and tomorrow, right now Skyler and Will are swapping the reps with the second group. We'll make the decision at game time."

Johnson said the University of Florida has placed Harris on an "interim suspension," which bans him from campus. The University Athletic Association also announced Harris was suspended from all team activities.

"He is allowed to take his online courses," Johnson said, "but he is not allowed to attend class on campus at this time."

Johnson told ESPN on Monday he is confident Harris will not be arrested or face charges as a result of the investigation. He said Harris said is cooperating with the investigation.

"We'll be working to try and get the case resolved as quickly as possible," he said.

State attorney William Cervone said on Wednesday his office is consulting with the investigation.

"We are very much aware of the case," he said. "At this point it is a UPD investigation. We have been and will continue to provide any assistance they might need. I have no idea whether [charges] will come or not."

Related Video