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Suspended since the start of the spring semester, sophomore wide receiver Antonio Callaway will be cleared to start fall practice with the Florida Gators and play during the 2016 season, according to Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun.
There is some ambiguity here, however, as Andreu notes that Callaway’s long-standing student conduct code violation case is not expected to be resolved by the start of the season, which kicks off against UMass on Sept. 3.
It is not noted in the report whether Callaway will be eligible to play in Week 1; rather, it simply states that he will be able to “play in games.” Andreu added on Twitter that the expectation is Callaway will receive “a favorable ruling in his case” and that it is “just a matter of time” until the resolution is finalized.
I've been hearing that Callaway is expected to get a favorable ruling in his case. Just a matter of time now.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) August 3, 2016
Head coach Jim McElwain confirmed Wednesday that Callaway will be in attendance at fall practice but clearly stated that nothing has been resolved and Callaway had not fully been reinstated.
Though Callaway was not allowed to step foot on campus during the spring and Summer A semesters, he remained enrolled in online classes at Florida. McElwain announced last month that Callaway was cleared by UF to return to campus for Summer B, at which point he also began participating in Gators team activities and workouts.
Attorney Huntley Johnson, based in Gainesville, Florida, has been representing Callaway through this university violation and maintained for quite some time that this would be resolved in Callaway’s favor.