Florida linebacker Diwun Black dismissed from team, no longer on roster

Florida linebacker Diwun Black has been dismissed from the football team and is no longer on their roster, according to Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online.

The news came to light on Wednesday afternoon, which is sure to be a disappointment to Gators faithful.

“Florida linebacker Diwun Black is no longer a member of the football team, Gators Online has learned,” wrote Abolverdi. “The former JUCO transfer was dismissed from the Gators on Sunday for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, according to a source close to the program. Black is no longer listed on the 2022 roster.”

Moreover, Black has accumulated playing time in four contests over the 2022 season, amassing three tackles against Eastern Washington and also making an impact on special teams, recovering an onside kick for the Gators at Tennessee. 

Prior, Black appeared in ten games last season, finishing with four tackles on the year. Before joining the program, the linebacker was the No. 1-rated JUCO recruit in the 2021 class and also signed with the Gators out of high school, per Abolverdi.

More on Florida Gators, multiple transfer announcements

Moreover, the news regarding Diwun Black comes after multiple Florida players have announced their intentions to transfer in recent days.

Among them, tight end Nick Elksnis, receiver Trent Whittemore and defensive lineman Griffin McDowell have made their intentions clear — they’re leaving the Gators.

First, Elksnis — a second-year Gator — played mostly on special teams for Billy Napier’s squad this season after appearing in four games in 2021 and taking his redshirt.

Elksnis signed with Florida in the 2021 recruiting class as a four-star prospect out of Episcopal High School in Jacksonville. He was the No. 390 prospect in the nation and No. 15 tight end, according to the On3 Consensus. He initially committed to Penn State before decommitting and flipping to Florida after the Gators’ Junior Day in March of 2020.

Meanwhile, Dan Mullen originally brought the Whittemore to Gainesville, spending three seasons with him. However, this was not able to kick off the right way under new head coach Billy Napier, only having four receptions for 87 yards in 2022.

On the defensive side, McDowell had been with the program for five years. He will now be searching for a new home for his final season of eligibility in college football.

McDowell has appeared in 40 games throughout his time in Gainesville, playing in all three phases. He began as an offensive lineman, playing 13 games as a reserve under head coach Dan Mullen. Special teams was then where he played during the 2020 and 2021 before moving to defensive line for Billy Napier.

As you can see, much change is coming to Florida’s roster, whether it was intended by Billy Napier or not.

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle and Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.