Gators' Sturdivant Reaching Breakneck Speeds, Getting Stronger

If there was an indicator to the Florida Gators that J. Michael Sturdivant is at full strength, it’s the lethal speed he’s reaching in offseason workouts.

He confirmed last week that he was hitting, or at least coming close to, 23 miles per hour on the run. He said that he’s in the position to take the field and make an impact for his team.

"If not, it was right under,” he said. “But I feel very great right now. I feel very fast and very strong. And I feel ready to go."

Sturdivant saw action in 11 of 12 games last season with the UCLA Bruins, but only saw action in a handful of them and made an impact in fewer than that due to injuries. He tallied 315 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 22 catches, with most of that total coming from just two games.

On Oct. 12 against Minnesota, he racked up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown, with the next big game coming against rival USC on Nov. 23 when he had 117 yards in the game.

In the latter game, he went viral for the athleticism on display. In the third quarter, with the Bruins leading 10-9, Sturdivant had a diving catch inside the five-yard line to corral a 45-yard pass from quarterback Ethan Garbers.

J. Michael Sturdivant with the diving catch 😍🔥

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/GnnVT8DrJP
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 24, 2024

Highlights like that are what caught the attention of Billy Napier and company and helped get fans excited for his arrival in Gainesville.

The highlight catches continued to pop up once he arrived. In the Orange and Blue Game, he had another diving catch to nab a pass from Gators quarterback Aidan Warner.

The work he’s put in since coming to Florida is starting to show. Along with maintaining that speed and strength, he’s working on getting sturdier.

"I'm just trying to build myself, fill my frame out and still maintain my speed and my strength. So this offseason, 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.”

He credited the Gators' training staff for helping him take the next step for next season.

“So I just came in, I trusted the staff, and they did a lot of great things for me, and I'm extremely blessed to be here and be with a group that has a lot of knowledge and a lot of love and everything that they do."

With a wide receiver room leaning on the younger side this season, Sturdivant will provide the Gators with a more veteran, experienced option to replace the departed Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger.