As signing day approaches, Nease High’s disgraced quarterback Marcus Stokes has a second chance to fulfill his college football aspirations. After a senior season in which Stokes gained 2,672 yards, ran for 496 yards and scored 28 touchdowns, the four-star passer (or 3-star, depending on where you look) accepted an offer from Billy Napier’s Florida Gators. Then, at the end of the year, knucklehead fumbled the ball in the most teenage way possible chanting the N-word on social media, resulting in Florida pulling his offer.
Props to Florida for that. We cannot allow outsiders to think that chanting the N word is a loophole. The Gators were the best possible offer for Stokes, who attends the same school that made Tebow famous in the mid-2000s, but he’s not a Tebow-level talent. Based on the visits he’s taken, he’s potentially a solid pick for a Group of 5 program, and a steal for an FCS program. Stokes has offers from other Division I schools, but his most intriguing option might be from Division II Albany State.
According to Stokes, the Golden Rams coach visited Nease on Wednesday and his father sounds confused. “It’s very unique. Very interesting,” Marcus’ father told 247 Sports telephone. “We didn’t expect this at all.”
What is the advantage for Albany State?
HBCU school in Georgia offering redemption to a white high school quarterback from Florida sounds like the plot of a Tyler Perry movie, but let’s not give him any ideas. Stokes sounded open to the move, but he may also be doing his own PR. Most schools have been hesitant to offer Stokes since his social media blunder, and the Albany State coach’s offer looks like Al Sharpton is calling the tackles at Sylvia’s 125th for a photo shoot.
G/O Media may receive a commission
Counseling center for addictions
Safe Haven Health
Available to everyone
Safe Haven prioritizes your needs with flexible and individualized drug addiction treatment, especially opioid and alcohol addiction.
Instead of Last Chance U, we have Black Chance U on our hands in which Albany State acts as the magical black trope in Stokes’ tale of redemption. On the other hand, Albany State is a program looking for upside, and a quarterback with a 3- or 4-star pedigree is a boon to anyone. Alas, Stokes’ commitment to Albany State would be an unsettling Signing Day. How would that turn out? Who knows? Three-stars typically end up at schools like Albany State after exercising their options, and Stokes has at least one more shot at a D-1 program if he has the talent to compete.
On the other hand, if Stokes hasn’t learned his lesson yet, he’ll certainly think twice before getting too cozy and doing the same thing at any HBCU.