Florida pulls scholarship from top QB recruit after video of him saying N-word surfaces
Marcus Stokes was one of the top recruits in Florida
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Florida Gators revoked a scholarship offer to one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation after the teen filmed himself saying the N-word.
Marcus Stokes played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and received an offer from Florida, Penn State, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern and Georgia State, among other schools, according to 24/7 Sports. According to the outlet, Stokes was a four-star recruit and among the top 50 players in the state.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Head coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators before the start of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Nov. 12, 2022, in Gainesville. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The video surfaced on Friday and showed Strokes saying "Welcome back" followed by the N-word.
Stokes revealed in a statement posted to social media Sunday that the Gators decided to pull their offer.
"I was in my car listening to rap music, rapping along to the words and posted a video of it on social media," he wrote. "I deeply apologize for the words in the song that I chose to say. It was hurtful and offensive to many people, and I regret that.
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"I fully accept the consequences for my actions, and I respect the University of Florida’s decision to withdraw my scholarship offer to play football. My intention was never to hurt anybody and I recognize that even when going along with a song, my words still carry a lot of weight. I will strive to be better and to become the best version of myself on and off the field.
"I know that learning from my mistakes is a first important step."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida Gators helmet sits on the sideline during the Aggies game at Kyle Field on Nov. 5, 2022, in College Station, Texas. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Stokes had flipped his commitment from Penn State to Florida in July, according to The St. Augustine Record. He had 14 touchdowns and 1,867 passing yards in his senior season after appearing on schools’ radars following his junior season when he had 28 touchdowns and 2,672 passing yards.