Mullen: Dismissal of defensive back John Huggins was program's decision

In a press conference on Monday morning, Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen addressed the recent dismissal of sophomore defensive back John Huggins.

"[The decision to dismiss Huggins] was ours. [Huggins] was not living up to what we've expected of the Gator standard."

Huggins has been the center of off-field drama, including an incident from last October where he allegedly grabbed a female tutor by the throat on campus. Last week, Mullen stated that Huggins had previously served an undisclosed suspension in 2018 in regard to that case.

The defensive back did not appear at any of Florida's fall camp practices, with what Mullen called a "family issue" - unrelated to the October 2018 incident.

When asked for further reasoning of Huggins' dismissal, Mullen stated the situation was "evolving", noting that "there was things we were looking at him to have to do. It was a constant process." However, no specific details were mentioned.

"The next guy has to step up," Mullen continued on the secondary depth following Huggins' departure.

As things stand, the "next guy" at the STAR positon where Huggins played will be one of true freshmen Chester Kimbrough and Jaydon Hill, as well as starting MONEY linebacker Amari Burney.