Florida quarterback Emory Jones, who started 12 games for the Gators last season, has announced that he is entering the transfer portal.
Reports of his intention to transfer leaked on Friday night, while a formal announcement came from Jones’s personal Twitter account on Saturday morning.
Jones thanked his teammates, the coaching staff, and Florida fans individually in the post before announcing his decision to transfer.
“After many conversations with my family and after putting a lot of thought into my future. I have decided to enter the transfer portal. I am proud to say that I will continue my education at the University of Florida with the goal of becoming a Gator graduate at the end of the spring semester,” Jones wrote.
Jones initially voiced his intention to transfer in December following the school’s decision to fire coach Dan Mullen and hire Louisiana coach Billy Napier to replace him. However after meeting with Napier and the new coaching staff, Jones was convinced to stick it out with the Gators through the winter and to go through spring practice.
Florida started practice this week, and Jones participated in the workouts. However, after a week of practice, Jones reverted back to his original decision to move on from the university. Upon completing his degree from Florida later this spring, Jones will become immediately eligible as a graduate transfer and will have two seasons remaining.
Jones completed 64.7% of his passes last season for 2,734 yards and 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He also added 759 yards on the ground and four scores.
Jones’s exit from the program now paves the way for Anthony Richardson to potentially take over as his replacement. Richardson appeared in several games last year for the Gators and is highly regarded in terms of his potential. Jones’s decision opens the door for him to get significantly more snaps under center.
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