Chomping at Bits: Florida signee Diwun Black headed to junior college

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Florida signee Diwun Black headed to junior college: Another of the Gators’ highest-rated signees in their 2019 recruiting class is departing that class before playing a down, as Black posted an emotional note on Twitter Monday night to explain that he will head to a community college rather than attending Florida in 2019.

Black’s academics were long thought to be a major obstacle to his qualifying at Florida — or any other four-year school — so the detour to the JUCO route isn’t a major surprise, despite Black, a native Mississippian, spending his senior year in Florida to rectify his grades. But it is definitely disappointing for the Gators, who could have used Black as an athletic linebacker as soon as this fall, and clearly more so for Black himself.

And while it sure seems as though Florida is holding out hope for Black ultimately making it to Gainesville...

...Florida’s track record with reeling in prospects who were initially turned away by admissions is spotty, to put it kindly.

Dan Mullen’s rebuild is still a work in progress: You think? (Pat Dooley, The Gainesville Sun)

Florida softball gets No. 5 seed: For a team thought of as rather unlikely to be a top-eight seed as of one week ago, that’s a hell of a seed. And Florida pulled a fairly friendly path to Oklahoma City, too. (Herb Brooks, Florida Gators)

Florida women’s basketball hires Erika Lang-Montgomery as assistant: Cam Newbauer’s staff gets a bit of a shakeup with the hire of a rising star and former Gator. Lang-Montgomery replaces Laura Harper and would appear to fill out Newbauer’s staff for the 2019-20 season. (Sam Stolte, Florida Gators | Chris Harry, Florida Gators)

Florida men’s golf in hunt for Nationals: The Gators are in the middle of a deep pack of teams looking for a top-six finish after one round in Pullman, Washington. (Lucy Berres, Florida Gators)

What Kerry Blackshear could bring to Florida: It’s a tantalizing prospect, though Blackshear still hasn’t formally ended his pursuit of an NBA career, let alone decided on a transfer to Florida. (Eric Fawcett, Gator Country)