BB gun incident will be inconsequential for Florida's Tyrie Cleveland, Rick Wells
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The hype surrounding star Florida signee Tyrie Cleveland was halted Monday with his arrest.
He and his roommate, fellow freshman wide receiver and childhood friend Rick Wells, both face two felony charges involving a BB gun. Gators coach Jim McElwain said there will be consequencesfor Cleveland and Wells, but don't expect their discipline to center around missing game time.
Cleveland and Wells may be suspended for the season opener, but that's probably the extent of their on-field punishment. Both players should still practice and scrimmage throughout preseason camp, as did a pair of Georgia freshmen in the spring following their April arrests for a similar incident.
The lawyer(s) for Cleveland and Wells will likely push for a pre-trial diversionary program, where they do community service and pay fines to expunge the charges from their record. Discipline from McElwain will mostly be handled internally.
While BB guns can be harmless fun, shooting them at a building with occupants (even if to prank other teammates) is dangerous and dumb. Perhaps a firearms safety course would also benefit Cleveland and Wells.
They weren't going to start to the season opener, so their absence wouldn't hurt Florida's receiving corps. Wells was already a redshirt candidate because of depth at the position, but Cleveland is the Gators' best incoming wideout in years and figures to be a contributor in 2016.
Cleveland had a difficult upbringing and grew up around deadly violence, most notably his brother's murder, so this incident could serve as a valuable learning experience before he reaches potential stardom at UF.
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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