Former Florida Gators defensive lineman Stephon Shivers has found a new home with Tennessee State. Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Florida Gators DL Finds New Home After Removal from Team

Originally posted on Florida Gators on SI | By Cam Parker | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Months after his removal from the team, a former Florida Gators freshman defensive tackle has found a new team.

Stephon Shivers, who departed from Florida this summer after his arrest on a felony dating violence charge, will suit up for Tennessee State, the program's 2025 roster revealed. Hailing from Brentwood, Tennessee, Shivers will play his college ball at a program 20 minutes away from where he played his high school ball.

Shivers initially signed with Florida as a four-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting class but only participated in spring camp before his arrest and eventual removal from the program.

First reported by the Gainesville Sun's Kevin Brockway, Shivers, a minor, was arrested and charged with false imprisonment, a third-degree felony, stemming from an alleged altercation on June 1. According to the Gainesville Police Department arrest report, Shivers was accused of pushing the alleged victim onto a bed, shaking her, getting on top of her, holding her down and choking her after a verbal argument over information found on the victim's cell phone escalated.

The alleged victim also accused Shivers of punching her in the face, pulling off her weave and shattering her cell phone. Shivers' public defender, Karen Yochim, denied the claims in his initial court appearance on June 5, during which he was placed on house arrest.

A month later, head coach Billy Napier confirmed Shivers was no longer on the team after he was removed from the team's online roster.

Shivers, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 400 pounds, was expected to be an active contributor in Florida's defensive line rotation, essentially taking over for the graduated Desmond Watson.

"He's huge. He's strong. It's always good to have those type of guys in the room," defensive line coach Gerald Chatman said during spring camp. "Just get him in that A-gap, and I think we'll be alright. But he's a young kid, he's still learning a lot, you know, technique, fundamentals, a lot on his plate right now. And I like to put the pressure on them early to see how they handle that and handle the adversity. I wanted to be adverse. I don't want him to walk in and, you know, it just be a good cup of water. I want it to be tough."

#Gators freshman DL Jeramiah McCloud, Stephon Shivers pic.twitter.com/dWlrZ1eCat
— Cam Parker (@camparker25) March 8, 2025

With Shivers gone, Florida's expected defensive line rotation , once starter Caleb Banks returns from injury , is expected to be Jamari Lyons and Banks starting at the nose and three-tech positions with transfer Brendan Bett (nose) and Michai Boireau (three-tech) as the immediate backups.

Freshmen Joseph Mbatchou and Jeramiah McCloud as well as former JUCO players Brien Taylor Jr. and Tavorise Brown provide depth in the rotation. All players are expected to play at both nose and at the three-tech tackle spot despite their current assignments.

"I think all those inside guys got to be able to play anywhere from a 0 to a 3, and some of them can go play 4i as well," Napier said Wednesday. "... Then the four-down structures, you got to be able to play a 3 and and 2i. So you play that position, you're in (Gerald Chatman's) room, you got to go from a 4i all the way down to 0. And heck, last year, we will put those guys on the edge sometimes."

No. 13 Florida continues its 2025 season with a Week 2 matchup at home against South Florida, while Tennessee State hosts the FCS's top-ranked team in North Dakota State. Shivers played in the Tigers' win over North Carolina A&T last week, recording a fumble recovery.

This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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