A four-star quarterback who committed to play college football for the Gators next year has had his scholarship revoked after he used the “N” word in a social media video.
TMZ reports the University of Florida withdrew its offer to Marcus Stokes—a standout QB from Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL—after a clip surfaced over the weekend in which Stokes used the racial slur while rapping along to a song.
Stokes, who committed to the Gators on July 7, took to Twitter on Sunday to apologize for his actions.
“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.”
“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,” he continued. “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.”
Ranked as the 23rd-best quarterback in the 2023 class by 247Sports, Stokes struggled in his senior season, throwing for 1,127 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions in seven games. The performance paled in comparison to his junior season, when he had 28 touchdowns and 2,672 passing yards.
