The shifting of the FIU football roster has continued.
As we noted earlier in the week, Texas defensive tackle D’Andre Christmas-Giles was formally added to the FIU football team. It’s also been confirmed by Eric Henry of SBNation.com that a pair of Panthers players, defensive back Maurquel Dillard (pictured, center) and wide receiver DeAndre Williams, are no longer on the roster.
Exactly why the players have departed hasn’t been divulged. It’s also unclear if either will enter the NCAA transfer database. But, if they do...
Now, for what’s seemingly becoming a daily disclaimer when it comes to transfers.
As we’ve stated myriad times in the past, a player can remove his name from the portal and remain at the same school. At this point, though, other programs are permitted to contact a player without receiving permission from his current football program.
NCAA bylaws also permit schools to pull a portal entrant’s scholarship at the end of the semester in which he entered it.
Both prospective transfers were three-star signees, Williams in 2017 and Dillard in 2018. Dillard and Williams played their high school football in the state of Florida, the former in Fort Lauderdale and the latter in Miami.
Dillard took a redshirt as a true freshman. Following that season, he made the switch from wide receiver to defensive back. This past season, Dillard appeared in seven games. In that action, he was credited with three tackles.
Like Dillard, Williams used his redshirt season as a true freshman. The past two seasons, he played in three games. Just one of those appearances came this past season.
FIU is coming off a 6-7 2019 football campaign. Included in that was an upset of Miami in late November 30-24, the Panthers’ first-ever win over the Hurricanes.
And the Panthers’ current head coach? Former Hurricanes’ coach Butch Davis.