The father of Carlos Dunlap has told the Orlando Sentinel that he gets the sense that his son “won’t be able to play” in Florida’s SEC championship match-up with Alabama this Saturday.
The defensive end was arrested and charged with DUI after he was found asleep at the wheel of a vehicle and failed sobriety tests administered at the scene. The arrest came early this morning, just four days before a game that will decide one-half of the BcS championship pairing.
Carlos Dunlap Sr. told the paper that he had spoken to head coach Urban Meyer, who made it seem as if his hands would be tied when it came to Dunlap’s availability.
“I got the sense that he won’t be able to play,” Dunlap said. “I asked him if there’s anything he can do -- it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t ask -- and he said he doesn’t know what he can do. We’re supposed to meet tonight.”
Meyer has yet to publicly address Dunlap’s situation, but is expected to do so following the Gators’ practice this evening. It’s unknown whether Meyer will announce any type of punishment at the time.
In reality, though, there is only one thing that Meyer can do -- suspend Dunlap for at least the ‘Bama game. There’s no realistic way around that course of action, regardless of how terrible either Dunlap feels about it.