Florida football: Justin Shorter announces transfer to Florida
Florida football has picked up another gem in the transfer portal as a former Penn State wide receiver announces he’s coming to Gainesville.
Apparently losing nearly an entire receiving corps to graduation is no big deal for Florida football.
In addition to Trevon Grimes, Jacob Copeland, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and now, Justin Shorter.
The former 5-star recruit from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, announced his intentions via his Twitter account Sunday.
In addition to what is returning, Florida football also has Xzavier Henderson — the No. 10 ranked receiver in the country — and Mordecai McDaniel as potential options for quarterback Kyle Trask and the Florida offense.
They will also have the services of Texas wide receiver transfer Jordan Pouncey, Mark Britt, Jaquavion Fraziers and four-star receiver Leonard Manuel.
Henderson, Britt and Manuel have yet to sign their letters of intent but have committed to Florida football for the class of 2020.
https://twitter.com/JustinShorter15/status/1221493291000246272
“Officially committed.” That’s all the tweet said with pictures of Shorter in a Florida football uniform.
That gives the Gators a ton of speed at wide receiver to replace four strong wide receivers who graduate this year — Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond, Van Jefferson and Tyrie Cleveland.
Shorter was the No. 8 overall recruit in the nation in 2018 and was recruited by most major programs in the country. He committed to Penn State to stay close to his native New Jersey.
He struggled to adapt to head coach James Franklin’s offense as he managed just three receptions for 20 yards and no touchdowns in his first year with the Nittany Lions.
In his second season, he performed a bit better, snagging 12 catches for 137 yards and no touchdowns.
Coming to Florida football could be what Shorter needs to find that 5-star ability that made him highly touted out of high school.
Reports indicate Shorter visited head coach Dan Mullen and Gainesville this weekend. He made a previous visit to Gainesville during the Christmas break, but that was during the dead period and coaches were not able to speak with him.
Shorter’s immediate eligibility remains in doubt as it is likely he would have to sit out a year before being able to play. He will likely appeal to the NCAA for an eligibility waiver, but it’s not certain whether he will get it.
Next. More big recruits come to The Swamp. dark
He is the third five-star athlete to transfer to Florida football, joining former Miami Hurricanes’ running back Lorenzo Lingard and Georgia rusher Brenton Cox. Cox is eligible this season after sitting out last season.