Florida football fans got an unexpected surprise on Thursday afternoon when four-star quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] out of Ponte Vedra Beach (Florida) Nease flipped his commitment from the Penn State Nittany Lions to the Orange and Blue. He stated that his recruitment is now “completely shut down” on Twitter after first announcing the news live on Jacksonville’s local sports radio station 1010 XL.
He confirmed the news with Swamp247, stating via text message, “Home is where the heart is,” along with a fingers-crossed emoji. The 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pound signal-caller had been set to play in Happy Valley this coming fall but had a change of heart after a visit to Gainesville to compete in the 7-on-7 tournament, which appears to have been the pivotal point in his final decision.
My recruitment is completely shut downđđ𧥠#GoGators pic.twitter.com/ZQI7XHHQmn
— Marcus âJOKERâ Stokesđđ„· (@marcusstokes06) July 7, 2022
Stokes is currently ranked No. 397 overall and No. 22 at his position nationally with a four-star rating, according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 539 and 29, respectively, with a three-star rating. The Gators won out for his commitment despite having held just a 10.5% chance of landing him per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, against the Nittany Lions’ 66.3%. The USF Bulls were the third wheel in this one, having had a 9% chance before Thursday.
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