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University of Florida freshman quarterback Jalon Jones is being accused of sexual battery, which explains why the football player entered the transfer portal after being a Gator for a mere 15 practices. According the police report obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, a UF student told authorities that she was sexually assaulted in the early morning hours of April 6, but that she was choosing not to press charges.
Many fans were perplexed as to why the four-star prospect out of Richmond, Virginia, who was the 10th-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2019 was leaving Gainesville so soon after committing to the UF team. Primed to take over for the leaving Feleipe Franks, Jones was one of six four-star recruits signed by coach Dan Mullen during the 2019 recruiting cycle, so something wasn’t adding up.
After signing with Florida in early December, Jones appeared to be incredibly happy with his choice. He told the Florida Gator’s official site, “It’s Florida. I grew up watching Florida, watching Tim Tebow win the Heisman and going to the national championship. Watching him play the game, really, made me fall in love with football and made me realize this is something I really wanted to do.’ “That was my ah-ha moment: I want to do what Tim Tebow is doing. I want to be that guy for that campus, for the city, for the state, and just be that type of player. I knew the best place I could do that is Florida. My goal is to put another statue in front of the stadium.”
Upon learning of the sexual battery charges against their future star quarterback, it appears the university quickly took matters into their own hands. Gators spokesman Steve McClain said UF is aware of the incident and that athletic and campus protocols were followed.
Before anyone knew the real reason of Jones’ decision to enter the transfer portal so soon, it appeared that that there would be no shortage of NCAA teams looking to quickly recruit the talented player. As this news story continues to develop, it will be interesting to see how, if, and where he’s able to land next.
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