Gators Grimes, Toney to skip Cotton Bowl
Florida receivers Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney are skipping the Cotton Bowl to prepare for their NFL futures.
Grimes and Toney made their announcements Monday on Twitter, leaving the program two days before No. 10 Florida (8-3) plays eighth-ranked Oklahoma (8-2) in Arlington, Texas.
They are the second and third Florida players to opt out of the bowl, following tight end Kyle Pitts. So the Gators will be without their top three pass catches against the Sooners.
Grimes, a 6-4 senior from Fort Lauderdale who played at St. Thomas Aquinas High, thanked coaches for allowing him to transfer from Ohio State in December 2017 and thanked teammates for “the bonds I have created along my journey.” He added that “playing football at the highest level in the NFL has been my lifelong dream.”
Toney, a 6-foot senior from Mobile, Alabama, thanked his family and both coaching staffs for helping him during his time in Gainesville. He said, “I cannot imagine another program better preparing me for the next step in my career.”
Grimes and Toney already accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, another chance to impress NFL executives. They also are expected to attend the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Grimes had 38 receptions for 589 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He finished his college career with 100 catches for 1,464 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Toney was at his best this season, finishing with 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran 19 times for 161 yards and a score. He ended his college career with 1,590 yards receiving, 715 yards rushing and 16 total touchdowns.
Pitts is expected to be a top-15 draft pick, and Grimes and Toney also could go in the early rounds.
Grimes has a rare combination of size, speed and body control, and he probably would have had better numbers had Florida not had a deep group of pass catchers that included Pitts and Toney this season and Van Jefferson, Tyrie
Cleveland, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond, Pitts and Toney in 2019.
ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who played at Plantation American Heritage, was among six firstteam selections from No. 1 Alabama to The Associated Press All-America team, the most in the nation.
Heisman Trophy finalists Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith led a contingent of five Alabama players on the first-team offense. Running back Najee Harris, tackle Alex Leatherwood and center
Landon Dickerson were also first-team selections.
The Crimson Tide is the first team since 1980, when the AP All-America team began featuring two wide receivers and two running backs, to place a quarterback, running back and receiver on the first team.
No. 4 Notre Dame, Alabama’s College Football Playoff opponent this weekend, has two firstteam All-Americans in offensive guard Aaron Banks and linebacker
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Florida’s Kyle Trask was selected second-team quarterback and fellow Heisman finalist Trevor Lawrence of Clemson was the third-team quarterback on the AP teams released Monday. Lawrence, the likely first pick in the next NFL draft, made AP AllAmerica for the first time in his career.
ELSEWHERE
Stanford: Wide receiv● er Simi Fehoko is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Fehoko caught a school-record 16 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in his final game when the Cardinal beat UCLA in double overtime in the Rose Bowl.