A former Florida football quarterback played a role in former UCLA receiver J. Michael Sturdivant landing with the Florida Gators this season.
Sturdivant grew up in Overland Park, Kan., the same hometown as former UF quarterback Graham Mertz.
“There’s this little creek that sat between both our houses,” Sturdivant said. “So my house is right here, and their house is over there. So, like, we would go over, me and my dad would go over, some days we would watch college football in their basement. They would have a whole bunch of snacks, and we would just kick it, play with airsoft guns and all type of stuff. It was a good time.”
Sturdivant’s family moved to Highland Village, Texas, in 2018, where he starred in high school, then went on to play four college seasons on the west coast at California and UCLA. But after entering the transfer portal at the end of the 2024, Sturdivant had a chance to reconnect with Mertz and talked with him during his official visit to UF.
“He 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.”
Sturdivant signed with Florida last December, where he hopes to follow in a line of transfer receivers who have enjoyed success at UF under Billy Napier and receivers coach Billy Gonzales. Ricky Pearsall was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco in the 2024 NFL Draft after transferring in from Arizona State and putting together two successful seasons at UF. Chimere Dike (Wisconsin) and Elijhah Badger (Arizona State) were UF’s top two receivers last season, and both moved on to the NFL, with Dike being picked in the fourth round by the Tennessee Titans and Badger signing as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“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 Billy G 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.”
How J. Michael Sturdivant has adapted to Florida football so far
Sturdivant has stood out so far for Florida in fall camp based on his combination of speed and strength.
“I’m just trying to build myself, fill my frame out and still maintain my speed and my strength,” Sturdivant said. “So this off season, I put on… I came in at like 200 pounds, and now I’m 215. I hit all PRs in the weight room, lifetime PRs in the weight room, when we maxed out before fall camp started.”
As for speed, Sturdivant displayed it as a senior in high school, when he ran a 10.39 in the 100 meters at the Texas state track meet.
“It’s been a blessing to be blessed with that speed, and I’ve worked at it consistently and it’s a part of my game, it’s part of my identity,” Sturdivant said. “So it’s something that I take a lot of pride in and I use to help this team win.”
As a fifth-year senior, Sturdivant is looking to provide a veteran voice to a young receiving room that’s been banged up early in fall camp. Redshirt sophomores Eugene Wilson III and Aidan Mizell were sidelined earlier in the week, while freshman Dallas Wilson is out with a foot injury.
Sturdivant brings credibility, having posted 123 catches for 1,667 yards and 13 TDs in his college career.
“This is going to be my fifth college season, so I bring a lot of experience, a lot of confidence, and obviously I can make plays on the field,” Sturdivant said, “So coming here, I’m excited to help the young guys and help the guys that have been in this program to continue to succeed and be process-oriented and believe in ourselves, have a lot of confidence when we get on the field, and be able to help this team win a lot of games.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: How former Florida football QB assisted getting WR J. Michael Sturdivant to come to UF
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
