Gators CB Chris Steele enters the NCAA transfer portal
GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Chris Steele is exploring his options.
Sources tell Gators Territory that the Gators cornerback added his name to the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday morning.
The freshman cornerback early enrolled at Florida in January and had quickly made a name for himself during spring ball with his worth ethic and talent.
“I got to give it up to Chris Steele,” wide receiver Trevon Grimes said of Steele this past spring. "He comes out here, he competes with me everyday, he calls me out. Just today he had a pretty nice hit on me, he knocked the ball out. He’s going to be great, and props to him.”
With Marco Wilson still recovering from his ACL tear, Steele received plenty of reps with the ones the last few months.Although at times he struggled, it was clear that Steele was a special talent.
“He’s in the meeting room with his note pad open and ready to learn," added fellow cornerback CJ Henderson. "He’s got his pen out and he’s taking notes out every time. So, I think he’s going to be ready to play.”
Now it looks like Steele will not be playing in the Swamp. Sources tell GT, this stems from the way Florida handled the Jalon Jones situation. Steele and his family wanted to move rooms and was told it could not happen at that point of time - that request was made prior to the April incident. Steele was eventually named in the police report as a witness/person police interviewed (Steele is not in trouble or was never investigated).
However, there are also those close to the program that tells GT that Steele was “homesick.”
It has not been the best few weeks for Dan Mullen's Florida.
Not only was Jones investigated for sexual battery, but he also saw a secondary staff member, Otis Yelverton, and a player, cornerback Brian Edwards, charged with crimes in relation to threat of violence/violence against women.
Steele is the third Gator to announce his decision to enter the transfer portal after the spring game. Malik Langham announced his decision to enter the transfer portal two days after the scrimmage, Jones followed last week.
What does that leave for Florida at cornerback?
Brian Edwards is still a question mark, since he was arrested and charged with battery on Monday, so that leaves Marco Wilson and CJ Henderson as your presumed starters for the fall, while CJ McWilliams, Jaydon Hill, Chester Kimbrough and Kaiir Elam (when he enrolls) are your back up corners.
If both Henderson and Wilson enter the NFL draft, and depending on what happens with Edwards, the Gators will need to reinforce not just safety but also corner in the secondary this cycle.
Now a player can still return to the school even after putting his name into the transfer portal. Steele still has that option.
Stay with Gators Territory as we continue to follow this developing story.