Former Florida WR Chris Dunkley Transfers to USF

Former Florida wide receiver Chris Dunkley has landed, and it was not that far from his original destination. Dunkley left the Gators earlier this spring after speculation regarding grades and him finding himself in the doghouse. Almost immediately after announcing his intention to transfer, rumors about the receiver to USF began to surface. Those rumors would prove true in the end and Dunkley is now a member of the Bulls football team.

For Florida, Dunkley completed what we can now refer to as the Pahokee Three. It all started with Janoris Jenkins in 2008. Jenkins came to the Gators as one of the nation’s top cornerbacks. He would prove to be as much at the college level as well. A starter for three seasons, Jenkins was a member of back-to-back 13-1 Florida teams. Shocking to all, the talented defender decided to return to the Gators for his senior season instead of bolting early for the NFL. That decision is even more questionable now considering Jenkins’s arrests and subsequent dismissal from the program.

Next up was Nu’Keese Richardson. A year behind Jenkins, Richardson initially committed to the Gators only to spurn Florida for Tennessee. Let us all agree that the Gators dodged a bullet on this one. Richardson was said to have not been able to qualify academically at Florida as it is, but that was not the trouble. The trouble came when he was arrested for attempted armed robbery. So the Vols came and the Vols went for Richardson and he moved on to Hampton. That did not last long as Richardson left the program last summer. He spent the 2010 season at Coffeyville Community College. Expected to resurface at a FBS school for the upcoming season (USF was mentioned), Richardson now appears headed to Delta State.

And finally, we get to Dunkley. It is unfair to lump Dunkley in with the other two. His career path could prove to very different and we should hope it does. But there are two key connections: Florida football and Pahokee High School. In 2010, for the third straight year, a Pahokee player appeared on the Gators commitment list at one time or another. For the second time, that player signed to play at Florida. After redshirting his freshman year, Dunkley was expected to get a shot as was practically anyone listed at the wide receiver position, but his chances took a serious hit when he was suspended by new head coach Will Muschamp. Dunkley only participated in parts of spring practice and the suspension was believed to be related to academics.

So that leaves Florida with one great player who’s Gator career ended in a disgraceful fashion, one who never made it to Gainesville, and one who will never see the field in orange and blue. But of them all, Dunkley has the best chance to resurrect his college career and he will be doing it only a couple of hours from Florida.

The move to USF is a good one for Dunkley. He will sit out the 2011 season and then be eligible to play for the Bulls in 2012. With three years of eligibility left at that point, there is plenty of time for Dunkley to put together a nice, productive college career. Working with Skip Holtz at a school still in his home state should be good for the talented wide receiver. The pressure of competing at Florida is a different animal than it is at USF. For Dunkley, that is a good thing and might just prove to be the perfect fit.