Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Florida Gators HC Billy Napier sends firm message to his team after latest roster move

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 8:19 AM ET

The Florida Gators have been known for many things over the course of the last 20 years and they haven't always been good.

One of the things that the Gators have been known for was having players who would get into trouble. That was a constant during the tenure of Urban Meyer. Since his "retirement," things have gotten better, but there are still incidents on occasion.

Gators defensive lineman Stephon Shivers was arrested for an altercation that happened on June 1st and was later arrested on a false imprisonment charge (dating violence), which is a third-degree felony in the state of Florida. Due to that arrest, Gators Online is reporting that Shivers has been removed from the roster and dismissed from the team. He's been on house arrest since June 4th

Freshman defensive lineman Stephon Shivers has been dismissed from the Florida Gators after his arrest.

STORY: https://t.co/zEIafioOxI pic.twitter.com/UsgKaujCB0
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) June 16, 2025

It's never an easy decision for a team to make a decision like this, but they are often really important ones for the culture of a program. Napier making the decision in this manner is smart on many levels. Making the decision just over two weeks later shows that Napier takes these instances very seriously and is willing to take the time to get all the necessary information. That process sent a message to future recruits what is expected as a Gators football player.

The Gators landed Shivers as a three-star defensive tackle out of the state of Tennessee as a recruit last year as a 6'4, 380 lb mammoth in the middle of the defense. Now, Shivers is without a team and has a major legal issue to deal with.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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