UF's Dunlap suspended from SEC title game after DUI charge

Florida coach Urban Meyer has suspended junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap after Dunlap was arrested early Tuesday morning and booked on a charge of driving under the influence.

Dunlap was arrested early Tuesday morning, just days before top-ranked Florida's showdown with No. 2-ranked Alabama in the SEC Championship game on Saturday.

Meyer said after Tuesday night's practice that Dunlap had made "a very poor decision.''

"He's not going to play. But I want to visit with him and his family first and go from there,'' Meyer said. "We've had distractiom after distraction (this season). This is a very serious one, obviously.

"It is a distraction. But sometimes this team has found ways to get a little tighter in distractions and we have had a few of them this year.''

Dunlap was the Defensive MVP in last January's 24-14 national title win against Oklahoma.

According to the Gainesville Police incident report, the arrest was made at 3:58 a.m.

The report states that after trying to wake a sleeping Dunlap several times at a traffic light in the middle of an intersection near campus with his car still in gear, police were able to unlock the driver's door through a crack in the window of the red 2000 Chrysler.

Police said they feared Dunlap would take his foot off the brakes and the car would cause an accident. After entry was gained, the car was put back in park and the engine turned off.

The report alleges that alcohol was on Dunlap's breath. He took the field sobriety exercises with poor results, according to GPD spokesman Keith Kameg, then refused to take a breath test and was arrested.

Dunlap, 20, appeared in court and was released on his own recognizance at 9:10 a.m. The judge admonished Dunlap, whose birthday is Feb. 28, for underage drinking. As part of his release, he cannot possess alcohol, illegal drugs and any prescription drugs that are not prescribed to him. He is not to drive a motor vehicle and if caught he will be found in violation of his release and jailed.

"Stunning is probably a good word,'' Meyer said of the timing of Dunlap's problems. "Young guys make decisions all the time and this one is a serious one and it's stunning.''

A court date has not been set for the DUI charge.

CBS college football analyst Gary Danielson said the loss of Dunlap will alter the way Alabama prepares for the game.

"He's one of the best players in college football," Danielson said. "He was MVP of last year's title game. He is a type of player where Alabama's offense must identify where he is, they must help whoever is blocking him with tight ends and running backs and his absence will change the strategy of the football game.''

Dunlap is forecast by many as a likely NFL first-round draft pick if he decides to leave after this season. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has him rated the No. 3 overall selection.

The North Charleston, S.C., native is tied for the team lead with seven sacks. The arrest figures to restart criticism of Florida's league issues. In the five years Urban Meyer has been the coach there had been more than two dozen legal issues prior to Dunlap's problems but none during the current season.

Florida has plenty of experienced backups to step in. William Green, Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou -- who will take his starting spot against Alabama -- all have started at points this season. Defensive tackle Jaye Howard could also see some time at end, Meyer said.

"The good thing is we have a little bit of depth,'' he said. "That's a positive.''

Meyer noted that Dunlap had a 2.9 grade average and had never been a problem before.

"He's a guy that comes from a good family,'' Meyer said

Danielson doubts Dunlap's absence will have much of a role in UF's morale for the game.

"This is a pretty close Florida football team any way with a lot of motivation to repeat and be undefeated,'' Danielson said.