No. 10 Florida will be without top 4 pass catchers in Cotton Bowl

Associated PressDec 28, 2020, 7:47 PM EST

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 10 Florida will be without its top four pass catchers in the Cotton Bowl against eighth-ranked Oklahoma.

Receivers Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney announced Monday they are skipping the game in Arlington, Texas, to prepare for their NFL futures. Fellow receiver Jacob Copeland announced he won’t make the trip after testing positive for COVID-19. All-American tight end Kyle Pitts opted out of the bowl hours after the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Their absences leave Florida trying to replace four guys who combined to catch 174 passes for 2,778 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2020. Justin Shorter, Xzavier Henderson and Trent Whittemore are expected to get extra playing time in their place.

Grimes, a 6-foot-4 senior from Fort Lauderdale, thanked coaches for allowing him to transfer from Ohio State in December 2017 and thanked teammates for “the bonds I have created along my journey.” He added that “playing football at the highest level in the NFL has been my lifelong dream.”

Toney, a 6-foot senior from Mobile, Alabama, thanked his family and both coaching staffs for helping him during his time in Gainesville. He said, “I cannot imagine another program better preparing me for the next step in my career.”

Grimes and Toney already accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, another chance to impress NFL executives. They also are expected to attend the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Grimes had 38 receptions for 589 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He finished his college career with 100 catches for 1,464 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Toney was at his best this season, finishing with 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran 19 times for 161 yards and a score. He ended his college career with 1,590 yards receiving, 715 yards rushing and 16 total touchdowns.

Pitts is expected to be a top-15 draft pick, and Grimes and Toney also could go in the early rounds.

Grimes has a rare combination of size, speed and body control, and he probably would have had better numbers had Florida not had a deep group of pass catchers that included Pitts and Toney this season and Van Jefferson, Tyrie Cleveland, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond, Pitts and Toney in 2019.

Toney might not be quite as fast as Grimes, but he’s one of the shiftiest players in the country.

Vick, Fitzgerald and Suggs among stars on College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 1st time

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 9:04 PM EDT

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.

The National Football Foundation released Monday a list of 78 players and nine coaches from major college football who are on the Hall of Fame ballot. There also are 101 players and 32 coaches from lower divisions of college football up for consideration.

Vick, who led Virginia Tech to the BCS championship game against Florida State as a redshirt freshman in 1999, is among the most notable players appearing on the ballot in his first year of eligibility.

Vick finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1999. He played one season of college football before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. Vick’s professional career was interrupted when he served 21 months in prison for his involvement in dog fighting.

Fitzgerald was the Heisman runner-up in 2003 to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He scored 34 touchdowns in just two seasons at Pitt.

Suggs led the nation in sacks with 24 in 2002 for Arizona State.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be chosen by the National Football Foundation’s Honors Court and announced in January. Induction into the Atlanta-based hall is the following December.

Alabama freshman DB Mitchell says he wasn’t sure he’d get to play again after arrest

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 8:59 PM EDT

Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama defensive back Tony Mitchell said he feared his football career was over after his arrest on a drug charge.

The Crimson Tide freshman said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he knew “something much bigger could have happened.”

A judge in Holmes County, Florida, sentenced Mitchell to three years of probation with a fine and community service on May 24 after Mitchell pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to play football again, but I continued to work out and stay close with the Lord and those who love me unconditionally,” Mitchell said. “During those times, it helped me to keep my mind off it. But when I was by myself looking at social media, what everybody had to say about it, it just felt like it happened again.

“I didn’t sleep at night.”

He was suspended from the Alabama team following the arrest, but Mitchell’s father, Tony Sr., posted on Facebook last week that the defensive back had been reinstated. An Alabama spokesman declined to comment on Mitchell’s status.

Tony Mitchell Sr. shared his son’s video on Facebook, saying it was filmed during a talk to youth.

“I was doing things I knew I shouldn’t to try to fit in,” the younger Mitchell said, “but not everybody’s your friend.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a four-star prospect and the 15th-rated safety in the 247Composite rankings.

He had been charged in March with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell after a traffic stop when authorities said he drove over 141 mph (227 kph) while trying to evade deputies in the Florida Panhandle. A deputy had spotted Mitchell’s black Dodge Challenger traveling 78 mph (125 kph) in a 55 mph (88 kph) zone on a rural highway north of Bonifay.

He also received 100 hours of community service and paid a fine of $1,560.

Mitchell and a passenger were both charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The other man also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.