The Florida Gators have a former five-star prospect on their 2019 football roster after all.
Former Georgia outside linebacker Brenton Cox, who entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday, was added to Florida's roster on Friday and was expected to go through practice with the Gators. The 6-foot-4, 247-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Stockbridge was a consensus top-50 national prospect in the 2018 signing class, ranking as high as No. 11 by ESPN.
Cox is not expected to be eligible to play this season.
The Gators had two former five-star prospects - left tackle Martez Ivey and defensive end Cece Jefferson - on last year's 10-3 team that lost to Georgia 36-17 in Jacksonville but finished with whippings of Florida State (41-14) in Tallahassee and Michigan (41-15) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Ivey and Jefferson were 2015 signees who played all four seasons.
Cox played in 13 of Georgia's 14 games last season, compiling 20 tackles and two tackles for loss, which included an 8-yard sack at Kentucky. He earned his lone start against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, where he had six tackles, but his momentum from last season was soured in April when Cox was arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.
The Bulldogs entered preseason camp with Walter Grant and Azeez Ojulari as the first-team outside linebackers and with the promise of newcomers Jermaine Johnson and Nolan Smith. Johnson was the nation's No. 1 junior college prospect in the 2019 signing class, while Smith was the No. 1 high school recruit.
Cox is one of two former Georgia players who could be headed to the Sunshine State. Receiver Jeremiah Holloman, who was dismissed from the program in June after the surfacing of an alleged assault incident from last year, is reportedly headed to Florida International.
Holloman was in line to be Georgia's top returning receiver, having caught 24 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns last season. He had four receptions in back-to-back games against Florida and Kentucky, including a pair of scores against the Gators.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart addressed Holloman's departure last month at SEC Media Days, but he did not have any media availability this past week to discuss Cox. Smart has a news conference scheduled for this afternoon following the team's first preseason scrimmage.
Bigsby to Auburn
Auburn received a 2020 commitment Friday from Cartavious "Tank" Bigsby, a touted running back from Hogansville, Georgia. The 6-foot, 210-pounder is rated the nation's No. 31 overall prospect on the 247Sports.com composite rankings and picked the Tigers over Georgia, LSU and South Carolina.
Bigsby's nonbinding pledge vaulted Auburn to No. 6 on the 247Sports team rankings behind Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Georgia.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.