Four more Florida Gators – Purifoy, Cummings, Pittman, Williams – suspended for opener

Updated on Aug. 31 at 10 a.m.

Sophomore linebacker Antonio Morrison will not be the only Florida Gators player suspended for the season opener against the Toledo Rockets as the school officially announced on Saturday morning that four more players – including junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy, senior defensive tackle Darious Cummings, sophomore wide receiver Latroy Pittman and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Quinteze Williams – will also be held out of action for violations of team rules.

Reports of these suspensions began leaking Friday evening, when OnlyGators.com reached out to Florida for comment, but the Gators did not officially confirm the suspensions until sending a tweet Saturday morning.

Asked Wednesday during the weekly Southeastern Conference football coaches teleconference if any other players besides Morrison would miss the game due to disciplinary reasons, Muschamp answered, “No, not at this time.”

Based on the depth chart released by Florida on Monday, Purifoy is the only one of the five that would have otherwise started against the Rockets. Senior CB Jaylen Watkins, one of three first-string cornerbacks, will start in his place.

Cummings is second on the depth chart behind senior Dominique Easley, while Pittman is listed as a second-stringer at the F position behind junior Trey Burton.

Williams is not on the two-deep depth chart.

The Gators lost 13 starters from the 2012 season and will be without six total would-be starters for the 2013 season opener including Morrison (suspension), Purifoy (suspension), sophomore running back Matt Jones (illness), redshirt senior right guard Jon Halapio (torn pectoral), redshirt senior WR Andre Debose (torn ACL) and redshirt junior right tackle Chaz Green (labrum).

Jones and the five suspended players will likely be eligible to return on Sept. 7 on the road at Miami, while Halapio is set to play his first game on Sept. 21 at home against Tennessee. Debose and Green are out for the season with their respective injuries.