G Jessamen Dunker to transfer from Florida

Just over three months after he was indefinitely suspended from the program following a headline-making arrest, Florida Gators redshirt freshman guard Jessamen Dunker has decided to transfer off of the team.

Dunker, a four-star prospect who did not play as a true freshman in 2012, was indefinitely suspended from team activities in January after being arrested and charged with a third-degree felony for grand theft of a motor vehicle as well as a second-degree misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license. He was then caught speeding about two months later on March 6 and was once again cited for driving with a suspended license because his court case remained untried.

Early Wednesday during an appearance on the post-spring SEC coaches teleconference, head coach Will Muschamp said he was “still working through the situation” with Dunker and that the team “may know some things” in the next couple of days. Less than four hours later during a scheduled press conference with the media, Muschamp announced that Dunker is no longer be a part of the team.

“He has decided to transfer. He felt like he needed a fresh start, and I didn’t disagree with him. I appreciate his time here. We didn’t really get into where [he would transfer]; we’re going to continue to work through that. It’s his job now to continue to finish up strong academically here at Florida,” Muschamp said. “Obviously he’s got some pretty well-documented off the field issues, and we talked about it. He felt like he needed a fresh start, and I support him. … We had not discussed this yet until today, about an hour ago. You support him and hope for the best for him.”

Minutes later, the school released a statement on Dunker’s behalf: “I’m looking for a fresh start. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I’ve had here to [work with] Coach [Tim] Davis and the entire Gator coaching staff.”

Dunker’s legal case remains unsettled as of press time. His trail is scheduled for May 7.