Florida Football: The curious double standard surrounding Marcus Stokes
When Jaden Rashada originally spurned the Gators to commit to Miami, Marcus Stokes wasted barely any time to take the opportunity to commit himself to Florida football, flipping from Penn State. And for a while, it looked like a great match between the Gators and the Nease High four-star QB. Stokes was actively trying to get others to come to Gainesville and looked like he truly wanted to be a Gator.
Fast forward to November and Rashada committed back to Florida football and Stokes found himself in hot water following a controversial video that showed him rapping along and using all the lyrics.
Stokes was released from his commitment as a result of the video. But for an industry that values winning over morals, the fact that Marcus Stokes still doesn’t have a home for the 2023 season is one of the great double standards in recent memory.
Florida Football: Rules for thee, not for me
When the offer to Stokes was rescinded by Billy Napier, we wrote at the time that Stokes made a poor decision but that he should still be a Florida Gator. Don’t get it twisted, the word Stokes used in his video has a very ugly history to it and it is still used today as a racial epitaph to promote hatred.
But there is also important to factor in the denotation of what Stokes said and also factor in the connotation of his intent. Stokes was not using the word in a hateful manner, he was rapping along to a song that already contained the word.
If you want to argue that there is no place for the word to ever be used due to the denotation behind it, that’s fair but at 17 years old this was a teaching moment for Stokes rather than ostracizing him into oblivion.
The truth is, Stokes was released by Napier because he wasn’t needed anymore. With Rashada coming to town, Florida football didn’t need to bring two QBs for 2023. It was harsh, but it made sense.
What doesn’t make sense is how Stokes has been treated like he is radioactive by the rest of the college football world.
TCU for example has yet to sign a QB for 2023. While Rashada is now in talks with them, there was a two-month window where Stokes was available. TCU might claim “We too have high standards and object to the language Stokes used.”
But considering they just hired Kendal Briles, who was front and center at the Baylor scandal, that’s not the case.
Georgia does not have a QB signed for 2023 either. Are we supposed to believe that they have high morals after Stetson Bennett was just arrested for public intoxication just two weeks after he had a teammate die while driving an unauthorized SUV at 2 AM?
Auburn has an unranked, three-star QB signed, so Stokes would be an upgrade for them. Auburn also has zero issues with having Hugh Freeze as their coach.
LSU has sex parties.
Texas A&M just hired Bobby Patrino.
Even Albany State, which just offered Stokes but then backed out after their President spoke out, has had a history of financial fraud and complaints of on-campus hazing.
So spare the crocodile tears that Marcus Stokes doesn’t deserve a spot on a high-level college football team.
He made a mistake, but not one that is unsalvageable.