J.Michael Sturdivant Finds Family With Florida Football
When former wide receivers Chimere Dike and Elijah Badger declared for the NFL Draft at the end of last season, Florida lacked a veteran presence in the receiver room.
So, coach Billy Napier went to the NCAA transfer portal and found his guy: J. Michael Sturdivant.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound transfer from UCLA, who first played at Cal, entered his final college season. He aims to be a big-play threat for Florida ahead of a potential draft selection.
His career has seen its highs and lows, but he’s determined to recapture the form that earned him FWAA first-team All-American honors as a sophomore at Cal, hauling in 65 passes for 755 yards and seven touchdowns.
After transferring to UCLA in 2023, he had 36 receptions for 597 yards — averaging a career-best 16.6 yards per catch — and scored four touchdowns. His output declined last year, though, as he finished with only 22 catches for 315 yards and two scores.
One of Sturdivant’s biggest influences while in the portal was a familiar face in Gainesville. He took guidance from former Florida quarterback and childhood neighbor Graham Mertz.
“[Mertz] loved everything about this place,” Sturdivant said. “I saw the success that he had here, and the success with the people that they brought here to play receiver. He just had nothing but great things to say about the school.
“I saw the direction that this program is headed in the receiver room, the quarterback room, the O-linemen and the success that Coach Napier and (receivers coach) Billy G (Gonzales) have had,” Sturdivant said “So I’m extremely blessed to be in a position with those two guys that can give me the knowledge and put me in positions to go help this team win games.”
Another enticing aspect in Florida’s pitch to Sturdivant was quarterback DJ Lagway. Sturdivant watched Florida’s 31-11 win at Florida State and was impressed with how well Lagway played. After that, Sturdivant’s decision became pretty clear. Playing in a premier conference for a prestigious university like Florida, with that kind of quarterback, wasn’t something he could turn down
“It’s great to have a great quarterback, especially as a receiver,” Sturdivant said. “ Being able to be around a great team that’s headed in the right direction was something that was sold as well so it’s just a blessing to be here, be a Florida Gator and I’m excited to keep playing.”
Florida welcomed Sturdivant with open arms when he first arrived on campus in January. He mentioned that sense of togetherness and the family shared among his teammates.
“They’re my brothers. Man, this team is very welcoming. We got a lot of young guys on the team, but if you come around the team, you have no idea,” Sturdivant said. “Everybody messages like, we’re a family. So this has been a blessing to be in a locker room that is full of genuine guys that just want to have fun and want to succeed.”
The big man got his first taste of football in The Swamp last week. He cught two passes for 7 yards and one touchdown against Long Island University. For him, it was all about soaking up the moment, including the third-quarter playing of Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down.”
“Man, it’s hard to even put into words a sold-out crowd for the first game. It was loud, the lights were on, and it was a crazy environment and a blessing to be in that,” Sturdivant said. “I knew that ‘Won’t Back Down’ was going to be really, really dope, with the lights off and everything. So it was a lot of fun.”
Heading into Saturday’s matchup vs USF, Sturdivant spoke highly of Florida’s opponent. He added how the Bulls’ talent makes it a more interesting matchup.
“USF, they’re a solid team. They got good corners, good secondary, good defense. They’re going to be humming around the ball,” Sturdivant said. “They’re going to be playing fast. So this is going to be a very exciting game to come in and play.”
Listen to the game live on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC, USF
