Gators’ 17-year-old defensive lineman Stephon Shivers was dismissed from the Florida football team Monday following an arrest June 1. Shivers faces a third degree felony charge of false imprisonment.
Shivers, a 6-foot-4, 399 pound early enrollee at UF, allegedly got into a physical altercation with a woman in early June. He was accused of assaulting her and blocking the doorway, choking and punching the victim, and throwing her cellphone against the wall, causing damage to her phone and apartment. The freshman is facing up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine on a felony false imprisonment (dating violence) charge.
On June 4, Shivers was placed on house arrest after attending a public hearing in Alachua County Juvenile Court, but an exception was ruled, allowing him to leave his home for school and football practice only.
Florida announced that it was monitoring the incident and a team spokesperson announced the Gators dismissed Shivers from the program Monday.
Shivers committed to Florida after reopening his early commitment to Georgia in 2024. The three-star recruit was ranked as the No. 51 defensive lineman in his class and was set to begin play with the Gators in the fall.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.com. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is the men's tennis beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He enjoys spending his free time with pets, at the beach and fishing.
