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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