UF recruit suspended from team after second arrest.

GAINESVILLE — UF signee Justin Watkins has been suspended from team activities indefinitely following his second arrest in 10 weeks.

Watkins, a former standout at Clermont’s East Ridge and top Gator recruit, was in Alachua County Jail on Tuesday facing four charges, including false imprisonment/kidnapping and domestic battery by strangulation. Each is a third-degree felony, according to the Alachua County inmate log.

“Justin Watkins has been suspended immediately from all activities,” coach Dan Mullen said via a UF spokesman.

Watkins also was arrested May 9 in Ocala after he allegedly kicked a female's car, broke her phone and then followed her to Ocala’s Vanguard High, where she was a student. Watkins was charged with trespassing upon grounds of a public school.

This time, Watkins faces much stiffer charges. In addition to the felony charges, he faces two battery charges. Each is a first-degree misdemeanor.

A $40,000 bond has been set for Watkins’ release.

Last week at SEC Media Days, Mullen discussed his approach to discipline during what has been a quiet summer off the field for the Gators.

“We talk every day about it,” Mullen said. “We have a team full of 18- to 22-year-olds, and I think one of the things — I look back to when I was 18 to 22 years old and my decisionmaking process. And so I try to always put myself in their shoes. And I'm sure I made a mistake or two.

“But I think when you look at these young men, and they're coming in from all different backgrounds in a different situation, every day we talk about decisionmaking, how that decision is going to affect you, how is it going to affect your teammates, how does it affect your family, how does it affect our football program. And if you can learn to make good decisions, you'll become successful at whatever it is you're trying to accomplish.

“We talk about that constantly. Stick out, look out for each other as a team. That's a huge thing.”

The 5-foot-11, 172-pound Watkins was one of the prized recruits in the Gators’ 2018 class. 247Sports.com ranked him the nation’s No. 89 recruit.

Signed as an athlete who could move to cornerback at UF, Watkins averaged 11.4 yards on 219 touches from scrimmage and totaled 35 touchdowns the past two seasons.