GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators starting quarterback Treon Harris is in the headlines today for off-the-field reasons.
The kind of headlines new head coach Jim McElwain would prefer to live without as he gets settled into his new job.
According to reports, the 19-year-old Harris was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, a second-degree misdemeanor. Harris was driving a vehicle on Saturday night that was stopped on Stadium Road at 11:29 p.m. according to the University of Florida Police Department.
Two of Harris' teammates -- freshmen defensive backs Jalen Tabor and J.C. Jackson -- were passengers in the vehicle. The Gainesville Sun first reported the story Friday morning, but when you are Florida's starting quarterback, news spreads quickly and by early afternoon the Harris story was on dozens of newspaper and sports websites.
According to the police report, two small bags of marijuana were found in the vehicle, which is not owned by Harris, Tabor or Jackson, thus no other charges were filed.
Harris and Tabor were named to the All-SEC Freshman Team earlier this month. Jackson was redshirted following shoulder surgery prior to the season. Harris has a court date set for Jan. 15.
The University Athletic Association released a statement this afternoon regarding the incident.
"We are aware of the incident and are dealing with it internally and their bowl status hasn't changed.”
Meanwhile, here are a few other news items from Florida football:
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--Sophomore defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. will miss the Birmingham Bowl following recent hip surgery. Cox finished the season with four sacks, three coming in Florida's 10-9 win at Tennessee.
"Something that was deteriorating over time that he needed to have done,'' interim head coach/defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said.
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--Senior tight end Jake McGee is seeking a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. McGee suffered a broken leg in the first half of the season opener against Eastern Michigan in his first game at Florida.
A transfer from Virginia, McGee was redshirted in 2010 and then played for the Cavaliers from 2011-13. He graduated and transferred to UF for his final season of eligibility.
However, his season was over before he worked up a sweat and McGee has applied for a medical hardship waiver.
"He's trying to do that. We're trying to get him another year,'' Durkin said. "I totally believe he deserves it and that should work out for him. But we don't know the answer on that yet."
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--At his introductory press conference, McElwain said he looked forward to meeting Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan.
"I'm a huge basketball fan, so I'll probably be bothering the heck out of him,'' McElwain said.
McElwain finally had time to stop by Donovan's office on Thursday and the two chatted for a while. Donovan and his Gators depart today for Sunrise where they face Wake Forest on Saturday in the Orange Bowl Classic.
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--Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley discussed McElwain and more on Thursday during an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show.
You can check it out here: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12048492
