Report: Four Florida Gators End Holdout, Return to Practice
All four Florida Gators that held out of fall camp last week have returned to the practice field, as reported by Zach Abolverdi of Rivals.
Wide receivers Trevon Grimes, Jacob Copeland, and Kadarius Toney, along with defensive end Zachary Carter, were all back out on the practice field with the Gators on Monday. Copeland's return was first noticed via running back Iverson Clement's Instagram story earlier today.
At the time the holdouts began, as originally reported by Sports Illustrated-AllGators, it was unconfirmed as to why the players were sitting out - although each had been vocal on social media regarding the coronavirus pandemic and other concerns with the NCAA and a return to football. Carter broke his silence late last week, stating that his family had dealt with the coronavirus first-hand as it had taken the life of a family friend, as well as infected his father.
Florida sent four wide receivers to the NFL this offseason, returning plenty of potential and talent but surely some questions as to how much of a production drop-off there would be. The chances of Grimes, Copeland, and Toney not playing made the positon's outlook much grimmer, meaning the Gators can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Grimes, Copeland, and Toney combined for 64 receptions for 958 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. Carter, primarily playing defensive end, tallied 28 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 20 quarterback pressures (per Pro Football Focus, the third most on the team) in 2019 - across less than half of the team's defensive snaps.
