Tovani Mizell, second from left, with teammates, from left, Quaysheed Scott, David Washington, Quintavion Norman and Cam Dooley on UK’s “Flex Day.” (UK Athletics Photo)
Florida running back Tovani Mizell missed the 2023 high school season due to a knee injury and did not get cleared for contact sports until a few weeks before he reported to the University of Kentucky.
Before he left Florida, he told us on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports that he “was feeling really good” about himself and felt his work with the track team had helped get his knee back in even better shape.
“I would say I was focusing more on my knee with a little bit of pain as it was healing to get ready for next season,” Mizell said.
He certainly looked ready when he posted two photos Friday from “Flex Day” with teammates Quaysheed Scott, David Washington, Quintavion Norman and Cam Dooley. They were shirtless in their workout shorts and posing in the UK weight room.
“My motivation is my parents. They have invested a lot in me so I do not want to let them down,” Mizell said on WLAP. “It has always been a goal to be the greatest of all time. My goal is to be a NFL Hall of Famer. The way people talk about (former NFL great) Barry Sanders is the way I want to be talked about.”
Why Barry Sanders?
“Obviously if he played longer he would have been the (all-time) leading rusher (in the NFL). My dad always liked old school running backs. He tried to implement my style to what they did,” he said. “I try to take what all the greats did, implement parts in my game and be the best version of myself.
“I studied Bo Jackson a lot. He was the complete back … big, fast, strong, ran hard. I like to do that.”
2 Responses
Tovani is going to surprise some people. If he wouldn’t have gotten hurt, he would have been a High 4* recruit. The bas thing is he missed his senior season. When he signed I was so excited and I still am. He can learn behind Chip and Demie this year. Tovani and Patterson can soak it all up and learn the playbook.I think they both get touches Patterson a little more. 2025 should be interesting. We are bringing in the highest rated running back in the Stops era. Then you will have Patterson and Tovani both probably redshift freshman. Maybe Patterson backs up Chip. Demie is more of a 3rd down back because endangered catch the football very good out of the backfield. Anyway our running back room is set for the next couple of years. I think Brown leaves after this year and Key is 50/50. So we need to grab some good receivers in the transfer portal and maybe a upper class running back.
You make some very good points TJ, however I would not be surprised to see Patterson play this year and lose his RS. Our RB room is as loaded as it has been in years. Remember you heard it here first… Jamarion Wilcox is going to be a star this year. Due to all the RBs we have signed in the last year, and his RS year, he has kind of been the forgotten man.. not for long.