Florida Gators football: WR Antonio Callaway, DL coach Chris Rumph reportedly leave

Football

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Image Credit: ESPNI

A pair of departures concerning the Florida Gators were reported on Thursday with junior wide receiver Antonio Callaway off to the 2018 NFL Draft and defensive line coach Chris Rumph moving to the Tennessee Volunteers.

Callaway has reportedly signed with Mel Bratton and will forego his final season of eligibility to enter the draft, according to InsideTheLeague.com‘s Neil Stratton. Though he compiled nearly 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns over 89 receptions during his first two seasons of college football, Callaway was infamously suspended the entire 2017 season over credit card fraud charges.

Once thought to be a potential first-round pick, Callaway’s myriad off-field issues should drop him significantly in the draft. There will likely be multiple teams that take him off their draft boards entirely. That said, Callaway’s talent is apparent, so he will surely get an opportunity with some team at some point whether in the draft or as an undrafted free agent.

Rumph making the transition from Florida to Tennessee, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Bruce Feldman, is undoubtedly an interesting one. He just completed the first of a new three-year $1.8 million contract and was promoted to interim defensive coordinator after Randy Shannon took over as interim coach.

Not considered a strong recruiter, Rumph is nevertheless a solid position coach who has held the position at Clemson, Alabama, Texas and Florida over the last decade. The Gators will now have to go up against his Vols defensive lines, which should make for a couple interesting Saturdays in the future.

With more Florida players — and the three temporarily retained assistants — facing decisions in the coming days and week, there should be more news like this on the horizon for the Gators.