Florida Gators Football

Quarterback Jaden Rashada, a 4-star prospect in the 2023 college football recruiting class, announced Friday he's flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida.

Rashada posted a statement on Twitter, saying he "dreamed of playing SEC football since I was a little kid:"

The Pittsburg High School (Cal.) standout is rated as the No. 57 overall prospect and the seventh-best quarterback in next year's class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Rashada announced his commitment to the Hurricanes in June amid a flurry of rumors about the type of name, image and likeness (NIL) deal he'd received.

On3's Jeremy Crabtree reported the quarterback was offered $9.5 million by Canes booster John Ruiz, which would set the record for a single NIL agreement but also represented less than the $11 million offered by UF's Gator Collective.

"The report by On3.com is inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashad," Ruiz told Crabtree. "I have never spoken to [NIL lawyer Michael] Caspino about Jaden Rashada. Mr. Caspino and I spoke about an unrelated player months ago and had a very professional and pleasant conversation. I respect him."

Rashada also denied the speculation on social media:

Meanwhile, his switch to the Gators pushed the program inside the top 10 of the 2023 recruiting rankings to No. 8 overall, per 247Sports.

Florida doesn't have any 5-star members of next year's class at this stage, but its 19 4-star recruits are tied for the highest in the country.

Rashada has made impressive strides as a passer, using more touch to hit targets at every level of the field. A little further improvement with his footwork should help him become more consistent with his accuracy, which already made a year-over-year jump.

Here's a look at his high school numbers over the past two years, via MaxPreps:

• 2021: 57.0 percent completions, 201.8 passing yards per game, 27 TD, 5 INT
• 2022: 64.1 percent completions, 235.8 passing yards per game, 25 TD, 8 INT

He's mostly a pocket passer, attempting just 61 rushes in 20 games since the start of last season, but he's averaged a strong 7.2 yards per carry when he does uses his legs to make plays.

Rashada also possesses a college-ready 6'4'', 185-pound frame that still has room for more weight as his physical development continues at the next level.

All told, he's a terrific recruiting pickup for the Gators, especially since it comes at the expense of the in-state rival Hurricanes.

The FBI is reportedly investigating antisemitic displays across Jacksonville, Florida, including one that was posted during Saturday's college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators played at the Jaguars' TIAA Bank Field.

Teresa Stepzinski of the Florida Times-Union reported Monday that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and FBI Jacksonville are investigating a message that said "Kanye is right about the jews" that was projected onto the back of the stadium's video board.

Rapper Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, has recently posted a string of antisemitic messages on social media.

"The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has been made aware of antisemitic posts and displays in and around the City of Jacksonville," law enforcement said in a statement.

"We have been looking into these actions and will continue to work with our partner agencies regarding these reports of antisemitic messages. At this time, the Sheriff's Office has not identified any crimes having been committed; the comments displayed do not include any type of threat and are protected by the First Amendment."

According to Stepzinski, similar messages were displayed in multiple places around the city, including on a downtown building and an overpass above the interstate.

The rivalry game between Florida and Georgia has predominantly been played in Jacksonville since 1933. Georgia improved to 8-0 on the season with a 42-20 victory on Saturday.

Florida head coach Billy Napier announced junior linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. is no longer on the team.

Napier didn't provide a reason for Cox's dismissal and pointed to "an accumulation of things rather than one specific action," per the Tampa Bay Times' Matt Baker.

"I think that being a football player at the University of Florida is a privilege. There are certainly expectations that come with that," he told reporters. "Obviously, he has done a lot of good things for the University of Florida and we wish him nothing but the best but sometimes you have to make decisions in the best interest of the team."

Cox began his career at Georgia and transferred to Florida following the 2018 season. After sitting out a year, he debuted for the Gators in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore.

The 6'3", 252-pound defender had 24 tackles, two sacks and six tackles for loss in eight games. His production ticked upward in 2021 as he recorded 41 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss while forcing one fumble and breaking up four passes.

Cox continued to be a mainstay for Florida this season. His eight tackles for loss are the most on the team, and he was tied for second in sacks (two).

Cox's performance was undoubtedly putting him on the radar for NFL teams ahead of the 2023 draft. He was the No. 60 overall player on Bleacher Report's most recent big board.

Ahead of a 42-20 loss to Georgia in Week 9, Napier listed Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. in the depth chart as the backup to Cox at the JACK position. Based on that, Powell-Ryland will take over as the starter for Saturday's contest against Texas A&M.

The University of Florida announced Tuesday that the football team's upcoming home game against Eastern Washington has been pushed from Saturday to Sunday as Hurricane Ian continues its path toward Florida.

Hurricane Ian is a Category 3 storm expected to make landfall in Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday, per Matthew Cappucci of the Washington Post.

A statewide emergency was declared last Saturday for 24 counties after the storm strengthened into a tropical depression. Some 2.5 million people are under evacuation orders.

Zach Rosenthal of the Washington Post provided more information on what may be next.

"Ian is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane but will likely weaken when it makes landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast," Rosenthal wrote. "Forecasters are predicting landfall to the south of Tampa—a city highly vulnerable to storm surge."

Other sports teams in Florida have also been affected.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are practicing at the Miami Dolphins facility this week, but they are still expected to host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have postponed a pair of preseason home games this week.

Other games remain status quo. Of note, Florida State football's home matchup with Wake Forest is still scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

The No. 12 Florida Gators were upset by the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats 26-16 on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, and it was a particularly rough outing for quarterback Anthony Richardson.

The 21-year-old completed just 14 of 35 passes for 143 yards and two interceptions. He also rushed for only four yards.

It was a steep drop off from last week's win over No. 13 Utah in which he completed 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards, rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns and pulled off a dazzling mid-air pump-fake, spin move two-point conversion.

After his Week 1 performance against Utah, fans were ready to name Richardson a Heisman Trophy candidate, but now the Internet believes he shouldn't even be considered in that elite category following his latest performance.

To be fair, this is Richardson's first season as a starter for the Gators. He sat behind Emory Jones in 2021.

At this point, it's fair to say Richardson is probably not a Heisman Trophy candidate this year. However, he's young, still has plenty of room to grow, and fans shouldn't be calling him a bust after just two games.

Richardson and the Gators will look to bounce back next weekend against the unranked South Florida Bulls before a matchup with the No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers on Sept. 24.