Florida WR Justin Shorter declares for NFL Draft

Florida Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter announced on social media on Thursday that he will skip the bowl game to prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft.

A transfer from Penn State, Shorter finished the 2022 season second on the Gators in receiving yardage with 29 catches for 577 yards and 2 TDs. He caught two long passes for touchdowns from quarterback Anthony Richardson -- a 75-yard bomb against Eastern Washington and a 51-yard bomb against LSU.

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Shorter missed three of Florida's final four games with a hamstring injury. He finished his Florida career with 95 catches for 1,395 yards and 8 TDs.

Shorter will take part in the East-West Shrine game, a showcase event for NFL-bound college players.

Florida will be down two key receivers, Shorter and Daejon Reynolds, for the bowl game. Reynolds announced Wednesday he is putting his name in the transfer portal.