UPDATE: Head coach Jim McElwain releases statement
Florida head coach Jim McElwain has released a statement regarding the arrests of freshmen wide receivers on Monday afternoon. The brief statement was released around 2:00 p.m.
Here's a statement from Coach McElwain on Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells. pic.twitter.com/bzkwWexdLt
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) July 18, 2016
We will continue to update this story. Below is the original story that was written Monday morning.
Florida fans' hopes of having a quiet offseason ended Monday morning with the news that two freshman wide receivers were arrested over the weekend. Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel first broke the story.
According to a UF police department report, freshman wideouts Rick Wells and Tyrie Cleveland have been charged with two felony accounts. They were arrested on Sunday following accusations of them firing BB guns on Florida's campus at the Keys Residential housing complex, which caused more than $1,000 in property damage.
Per the Sentinel's reporting, Cleveland and Wells, who are both 18 years old, have been charged with criminal mischief for damaging property of more than $1,000, which is a third-degree felony, and shooting a missile inside an occupied dwelling — a second-degree felony.
A UF police officer was sent to the Keys Residential complex around 11:30 p.m. on Friday evening and saw that three windows had been shattered with tiny round holes.
Two males were seen shooting at someone at around 6:45 p.m, according to video surveillance footage viewed by the officer, who would eventually identify the men with their ID cards as Cleveland and Wells.
Wells would then admit his wrongdoing and turn over the BB gun. The two players then were arrested and booked at 3:38 a.m. Monday, and are currently still in jail, per the Sentinel.
Looks like two new Florida Gators were arrested over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/dOuwbfQlQj
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) July 18, 2016
Cleveland is one of the most talented members of head coach Jim McElwain's 2017 recruiting class — he was the nation's No. 2 ranked wide receiver in the class, and the commitment to Florida wasn't exactly expected from the Texas product.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.
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