The Gators add an experienced wide receiver with good size in former UCLA pass-catcher J.Michael Sturdivant.
The night before Florida football played in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl, the Gators added former UCLA Bruins wide receiver [autotag]J.Michael Sturdivant[/autotag] to the program through the NCAA transfer portal.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound redshirt junior will play at his third school next season using his final year of eligibility. Sturdivant originally signed with the Cal Golden Bears in the 2021 cycle out of Flower Mound, Texas, where he was a four-star recruit, playing in the final four games that fall and ultimately taking a redshirt.
In 2022, the pass-catcher stepped up his game big time, playing in all 12 games while leading his team with 65 receptions and seven touchdowns; he also ranked second with 755 yards receiving. Sturdivant stood out among his freshmen peers that year, leading the nation in total receptions, receptions per game (5.4) and receiving yards; he ranked second in receiving yards per game (62.9) and tied for second in touchdown receptions.
The next season, Sturdivant transferred to UCLA, where he played a full 13-game slate while starting in 10; in 2023, he caught 36 passes for 597 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2024, he appeared in 11 games for the Bruins with eight starts and saw a decline in his production, hauling in 22 catches for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Now Sturdivant heads to Gainesville, where he looks to help fill the void left after Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger moved on from the program. His size and experience should give DJ Lagway a quality downfield target in 2025.
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Per Accuweather: It will snow during the day with snowfall from one to two inches, but it seems like it’s going taper off at night. That said, the low is going to be -5 degrees, so if you’re going, be prepared for frigid temperatures. Brrr. Hopefully, both these teams have been preparing for these really really REALLY cold temperatures in the past few days.
Beck having surgery would undoubtedly knock him out of playing in the postseason and most likely end his career at Georgia.
With the 2025 NFL Draft just around the corner, Beck will most likely declare as a potential first-round option.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton should take over for Beck for the College Football Playoff, where he will be tasked in leading the Bulldogs to a national title. No pressure, right?
Georgia is preparing to play the College Football Playoff without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who is exploring surgery options to repair an injury to his elbow on his throwing arm, sources told Mark Schlabach, @ClowESPN and I on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/JgMJs64GQO
During Wednesday night’s Art of Sport LA Bowl, UNLV executed one of the best fake punts in recent memory.
As the team faced California at SoFi Stadium, UNLV decided to go for a trick play instead of punting early in the second quarter.
The team caught Cal by surprise by having punter Marshall Nichols catch the long snap and pass the ball from his chest to defensive back Cameron Oliver, who ran it all the way to the red zone for a stellar gain.
From Nichols pulling off the chest pass with ease to Oliver catching it and sprinting down the sideline, this was just perfectly executed by UNLV.
If you’re a special teams nerd, you are in for a field day with this trick play. We won’t blame you if you want to watch this one over and over again.
A federal judge ruled Pavia can play in 2025. This gives him the chance to go 4-0 against Hugh Freeze’s teams.
A major hurdle in Diego Pavia’s quest for an extra year of NCAA eligibility has been cleared. On Wednesday, a federal judge granted him an injunction allowing him to play in 2025. Pavia’s legal team argued his two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute should not count against his NCAA eligibility limit because he was unable to capitalize in name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities at the junior college.
This is a massive win for both the player and the Vanderbilt Commodores team he lifted to its first bowl game since 2018 this fall. Pavia emerged as a dual-threat force for the Dores, racking up 23 total touchdowns as Vanderbilt scored wins over Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Auburn and, most notably, Alabama. Wednesday’s ruling stands to give him another chance to make waves in the SEC and further his legend, assuming any NCAA appeals fail to pan out.
Pavia could use the platform Vanderbilt gave him in 2024 to transfer to a program that could put him under a brighter spotlight. Early indications from sources around the Commodores suggest he’ll stay in Nashville alongside former New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill, who brought him to the SEC last spring.
If that’s true, it’s terrible news for Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze.
Pavia’s college career has been defined by two things; his 300-plus total yards in Vandy’s first win over the Crimson Tide in 44 years (along with a legendary post game interview) and his utter disregard for Freeze’s football teams. As an Aggie he beat Freeze’s Liberty Flames 49-14 in 2022, scoring six touchdowns in the process. One year later he and New Mexico State traveled east to play Freeze after he’d taken the reins at Auburn. Pavia threw three more touchdowns in a 31-10 victory.
His transfer to Vanderbilt gave him the latitude to stymie Freeze once more, this time in a sloppy 17-7 win that secured bowl eligibility in Nashville and briefly pushed the Commodores back to top 25 status. Should Pavia stay at Vanderbilt, he’d get one more chance to torture Freeze; the Commodores and Tigers are set to meet in Tennessee November 8, 2025.
In the meantime, Pavia will resume preparations as he tried to guide Vandy to its first postseason win in more than a decade. The Commodores face Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl December 27.
The Gators will be featured in Netflix’s SEC college football docuseries that will debut in the summer of 2025.
Netflix announced on Wednesday that it will capture the intensity and drama of the Southeastern Conference during the 2024 college football season in a new, eight-part documentary series featuring the Florida Gators and other SEC teams.
SEC spokesman Herb Vincent told The Athletic that all 16 conference teams were given the chance to participate in the series, but only 10 participated, including Florida football.
The series promises “behind-the-scenes” access, taking viewers inside the daily lives of players and coaches as they navigate the highs and lows of college football. From the locker rooms and team buses to less conventional settings like barbershops and fire pits, the series aims to deliver a holistic view of the collegiate football experience.
Florida football, who finished the 2024 regular season with a string of significant wins, including upsets over ranked LSU and Ole Miss teams, will be a focal point of the series. The series will not only highlight these key matchups but also delve into the team dynamics and individual stories that define the Gators’ season.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Netflix.
“This behind-the-scenes docuseries will bring all the drama and pageantry of Southeastern Conference Football to a worldwide Netflix audience,” Sankey told Netflix.
“Football in the SEC will be presented in a way never seen before through the elite storytelling skills of Box To Box, the content studio that has produced numerous award-winning Netflix docuseries. We are excited about this new delivery of content for SEC fans everywhere.”
This marks the second time in three years that the Florida Gators have been spotlighted in a Netflix production, following the successful “Swamp Kings” documentary that covered the Urban Meyer era from 2006 to 2009, a golden period for Florida football that included two national championships and a Heisman Trophy awarded to Tim Tebow.
The docuseries will be released in the summer of 2025 and is being produced by Box To Box Films, the same company behind acclaimed series such as Sprint, Full Swing, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and Break Point.
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Cook, a highly-touted recruit from DeSoto, Texas, had announced that he’d be entering the NCAA transfer portal last month after playing in a reserve role for the Longhorns. He played in just six games and logged eight catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
Known for his explosive speed and route-running ability, Cook had a standout high school career that made him one of the top recruits in the nation.
Rivals and On3 labeled Cook as a five-star recruit while ESPN and 247Sports had him as a four-star. Also, 247Sports has Cook as the No. 13-ranked receiver in the transfer portal and No. 35 overall.
The Florida football program initially extended an offer to him during Dan Mullen’s tenure with the Gators, and this was reconfirmed when Billy Napier and his new staff took over. Napier and his staff are set to make a strong push for Cook and he’d be a perfect fit for their system, which relies heavily on speed and versatility on the outside.
The Gators have been on the lookout for game-changing talents as they aim to revamp their offense for the upcoming season, especially in the wide receiver room.
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At first glance, the comparisons are easy to draw.
A former NFL star making the leap into college football coaching with little or no experience at that level has become sort of commonplace over the past few years.
The prime example, of course, is Deion Sanders, parlaying his celebrity as a Hall of Fame cornerback and flamboyant TV personality into recruiting and on-field success at Jackson State and Colorado. Sanders never coached in college in any capacity before taking the reins at Jackson State in 2020, and is now 40-17 overall as a head coach in five seasons with two conference championships and a Heisman Trophy winner to boast. Sanders’ foray into college football has been successful, leading other programs to take risky moves in an attempt to emulate his accomplishments, or at least reap some of the benefits that come from the spotlight being on their programs.
But the latest former NFL star to turn into a college football coach seems like something more than just another all-time great attempting to flip his celebrity into a gig and paycheck.
Vick, now 44, coaching the Spartans represents a homecoming, and the latest chapter in a long redemption story. Coach Vick at Norfolk State just makes sense.
Oh absolutely. Michael Vick becoming the head coach of Norfolk State would be a very big deal here in VA. I never knew how bad the 757 needed this until now. https://t.co/yH0CsGGlaY
Let’s make sure we mention this: Vick, who led Virginia Tech to an appearance in the BCS National Championship game in 1999 before blossoming into an NFL superstar and cultural icon, had his football-playing career paused in 2007 for his involvement in an illegal, cruel and brutal dogfighting ring. Vick spent 21 months in prison and has worked publicly and tirelessly with animal right advocates and charities to rehabilitate his reputation. In addition to his freedom, Vick lost his $100 million contract and a then-record-breaking Nike deal.
Vick’s atonement began in 2009, when he was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup. The following season, after Donovan McNabb was traded and Kevin Kolb was injured, Vick took the reins of the Eagles, led them to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth, won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, and again became everyone’sfavorite player to control on Madden. Vick jerseys became immensely popular again – just in Kelly Green instead of Atlanta Black – especially after he lit up Washington for six touchdowns on Monday Night Football on Nov. 15, 2010.
After a few more years with the Eagles and some time with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, Vick retired in 2015. In addition to his four Pro Bowl nods – three of which came during his glory years with the Atlanta Falcons – he still holds the NFL record for average yards per carry: 7.0.
Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (R) talks with former player Michael Vick (L) before a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Since hanging up his cleats, Vick has appeared on FOX as a football analyst and dabbled in coaching, interning with the Kansas City Chiefs and assisting the Atlanta Legends of the short-lived Alliance of American Football.
Vick’s latest venture into coaching marks a return to his roots.
He’s a native of Newport News and was a star at Ferguson and Warwick high schools. In his final three seasons of high school football, Vick totaled nearly 6,000 yards of total offense and 61 touchdowns, bringing college football coaches from all over to Virginia’s Tidewater region and cementing himself alongside the likes of Allen Iverson, Lawrence Taylor, Alonzo Mourning and Bruce Smith as some of the best athletes to emerge from that corner of the state.
Vick’s dominance of ballfields in the Commonwealth continued as he chose Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer, and then placed third in Heisman Trophy voting as an electric redshirt freshman for the Hokies while powering them to a Big East title. In two seasons with Vick starting, the Hokies went 22-2.
With the Hokies, Falcons and Eagles, Vick was like nothing football fans had ever seen before. These days, speedy quarterbacks are easy to find. But back then, good ones as talented as Vick – who could run as well as they could throw – were ultra rare. Vick was like Randall Cunningham mashed together with Fran Tarkenton and Barry Sanders. He had a cannon for an arm, the elusiveness of a greased pig with wings, and the speed and sharpness to cut through a defense like a hot knife against a buttered biscuit.
Why is Michael Vick coaching at Norfolk State?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 09: Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick attempts a pass during a celebrity flag football game at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on February 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Vick always remained close to his home and had pride in it. While playing for the Eagles, folks living near Route 13 on the Delmarva Peninsula have stories of seeing him at gas stations and restaurants during his frequent drives between Philadelphia and Newport News.
At Norfolk State, just 27.5 miles from where he finished his incredible high school career, Vick would take over a football team in need of a revival. Since making the jump from Division II to Division I FCS in 1997, the Spartans have won just one conference title, in 2011. And that had to be vacated because the Spartans used ineligible players. Since then, Norfolk State has finished a season with a winning record just once since. Recently fired Dawson Odums went 15-31 in four years.
Now, in this changing landscape of college football, Norfolk State has turned to a hometown hero and a big name who knows a thing or two about football that might help it harness some goodwill and garner some NIL contributions to keep the program afloat.
If Vick can turn Norfolk State into a winner quickly, it would represent a tremendous feel-good story for Vick and his legacy, Norfolk State and Hampton Roads, and all of college football.
And if Vick is as successful as Deion was at Jackson State, it will only make Brent Pry’s seat in Blacksburg warmer. If Vick’s Spartans have more W’s than Pry’s Hokies next season, expect their resumes to be compared, and expect folks in Blacksburg to call for a different kind of homecoming.
Vick’s career has been nothing short of a roller coaster. There have been several mighty rises, plenty of twists and turns, and one mammoth fall that ended with a sad crash.
Will Vick be a good college football coach? Will he win games? We’ll see.
But this, his prospective tenure leading the Spartans, presents another opportunity at an ascent for someone who has been to the brink and back.
Here are the Gasparilla Bowl predictions from the Gators Wire crew as the big game quickly approaches.
It was a long journey for the Florida Gators, from the college football preseason to the final game of the schedule.
Alas, the Orange and Blue survived the toughest schedule in the sport this fall, earning a 7-5 overall record and a trip to the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa to face the Tulane Green Wave. The two programs will take the field opposite each other on Friday in a series that UF leads with an all-time record of 13-6-2 dating back to 1915.
Billy Napier and Co. come into this one with tons of momentum while Jon Sumrall’s squad is still smarting from a beatdown in the American Athletic Conference title game against the Army Black Knights. Additionally, the opening of the transfer portal has changed some team dynamics as well.
Ahead of Florida’s first bowl game since 2022, the Gators Wire staff convened to offer their respective takes on this year’s Gasparilla Bowl matchup.
Florida is poised to dominate
Melina Myers-Imagn Images
The upcoming Gasparilla Bowl offers an interesting matchup between Florida and Tulane. Spearheaded by freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, Florida has hit a late-season stride that should terrify any opponent. Lagway’s arm strength and on-field leadership have been instrumental in Florida’s resurgence, propelling the team to notable victories against top-tier opponents.
Although Tulane boasts a robust defense and a talented running back in Makhi Hughes, they face a significant setback with the departure of their standout quarterback. This adjustment might just be too much to overcome against a Gator squad that’s gaining momentum and cohesion at the right time.
Backed by a surging offense and revitalized team spirit, Florida is poised to not only compete but to dominate in the Gasparilla Bowl, making it a game that Gator fans can eagerly anticipate as a display of Florida’s rising prowess. — Aidan Gallardo
Florida 42, Tulane 21
Lagway soars, defense smothers
Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Florida is favored by two touchdowns coming into this one despite the stark difference in records. Of course, the difference between the SEC and AAC is night and day, and Tulane got creamed by a top-25 Army squad in the title game.
Additionally, The Green Wave has seen more significant departures into the transfer portal than the Gators. Combine that with Napier and Co’s momentum coming into this one, it should be a slam dunk.
I expect DJ Lagway to put up season-best numbers in this one while the defense smothers an over-matched opponent. The Gators have won the last 11 meetings, albeit the last one coming in 1984. I see victory No. 12 after the final horn sounds. — Adam Dubbin
Florida 38, Tulane 13
Montrell Johnson Jr. will be the stud
Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
This Florida team has done a lot whenever it has a week off, and the extra practices that come with a bowl game should benefit the team greatly. Sure, a handful of players will be missing, but most of the departing transfers aren’t starters and the team was already banged up. Tulane has lost more, too.
This should be a relatively easy win for the Gators, especially if the team plays like it did against LSU and Ole Miss. I’m not sure Adam’s prediction of a Lagway season-best is in the cards — the kid threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns against Samford — but he should still show out.
I’m more inclined to believe that Montrell Johnson Jr. will be the stud here. One last big game for one of Napier’s favorite players. — David Rosenberg
Florida 42, Tulane 17
How to watch Gasparilla Bowl
The Florida-Tulane game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 20, and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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Arrowhead Stadium is set to host a college football matchup between the Nebraska #Cornhuskers and the Cincinnati #Bearcats in 2025.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been the primary occupant of Arrowhead Stadium since its opening in 1972, but the venerable venue is no stranger to hosting other teams.
During the 2024 college football season, the Kansas Jayhawks were welcomed to Arrowhead Stadium for four home games while renovations were underway at David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
Arrowhead Stadium also hosted a legendary rivalry game between the Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers in 2007 and served as the home of the Kansas City Wizards.
On Monday, it was announced that GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium would host a matchup between the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
College football 🤝 Kansas City
Cincinnati and Nebraska will face off at our place in August of 2025.
Arrowhead made for a marvelous venue during Kansas’ home games in 2024 without impacting field conditions to the extent that it hindered the Chiefs’ ability to play on Sundays.
Stay tuned to see if any more college games get added to the schedule at Arrowhead Stadium in the coming weeks and months.
