When Florida announced on Friday that it had suspended three players for the season opener, there wasn’t much cause for concern.
Sure, it’s always slightly embarrassing for a program whenever it has to suspend players or take any disciplinary action, but for one game against New Mexico State, it won’t matter in the long haul.
It will matter, however, for Latroy Pittman.
Of the three players suspended, the senior wide receiver has by far the most to lose.
Redshirt junior safety Marcus Maye, a player who has proven to be a reliable last line of defense over the past two seasons, will be reinserted into the starting lineup immediately when he returns.
The same can be said for redshirt junior defensive end Alex McCalister, who is expected by many to fill the void left by former Gator Dante Fowler Jr. as the team’s most lethal pass rusher.
But Pittman has no such guarantee.
Despite playing in all 12 games last season and starting nine of them, the Ocala native only managed to catch a meager 15 passes for 164 yards, and he barely played at all during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Even before the suspension, there was no assurance that he would start or play a significant amount in 2015.
But there was a decent chance.
Other than junior Demarcus Robinson, the wide receiver position is an unknown for the Gators heading into the season, and with that uncertainty comes opportunity.
With a new offense and a lack of proven wideouts to compete with, Pittman has nothing to stop him from separating himself from the pack and establishing himself as one of the top options in the passing game.
But now, he has to put that on hold for a week. That might not sound like a big deal, but it is.
“(I’ve) never been one of those and never will be to worry about who’s not there,” head coach Jim McElwain said about the suspensions after the team’s Friday night scrimmage. “(It) gives some guys an opportunity to step up and make some plays and help us down the road.”
In other words, while Pittman is on the sideline against New Mexico State, other players will be getting the chance to showcase themselves and prove that they deserve a spot on the field — the spot Pittman wants.
Maybe junior Ahmad Fulwood makes a few big plays and catches a touchdown or two.
Maybe freshman Antonio Callaway flashes some speed and turns a couple screen passes into 30 and 40 yard gains.
Maybe Pittman would have done the same. But the others will get the chance to do it first, and if they perform well, the coaches will continue to give them more opportunities than someone who hasn’t yet proven he can do it.
Even when Pittman does get his chance to play, he will already be a game behind everyone else in terms of getting in sync with whomever is behind center.
This isn’t to say the senior can’t have a great season, or that he can’t still become one of Florida’s top receivers — he can and he very well might.
But he’s behind the eight ball now, and he’ll have to work that much harder to gain the trust of his coaches and prove that he deserves to be a major contributor this season.
Follow Graham Hack on Twitter @graham_hack24
UF wide receiver Latroy Pittman speaks at UF's Media Day on Aug. 5, 2015, at Touchdown Terrace in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
