Florida Gators DB Announces Medical Retirement

Florida defensive back Dakota Mitchell announces medical retirement from football due to a birth defect in his back.

Florida Gators redshirt sophomore defensive back Dakota Mitchell is medically retiring from football, he announced on Friday.

The decision comes as a result of lingering back pain he's struggled with since his Pop Warner and prep career.

"I write this with tears in my eyes. I knew this day would come soon, but I never thought it'd be so soon," Mitchell said in a post to Instagram. "I have been fighting through severe back pain since Pop Warner Little League football and nothing has changed. I always questioned why my back was always hurting. After extensive treatment, they found that I was born with a condition causing the pain.

"I am medically retiring from the game and hanging up my cleats."

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A post shared by Dakota Mitchell (@rockoutnine)

He’s expected to remain on scholarship, All Gators has learned. He confirmed on Twitter that he will continue pursuing his degree from UF despite his retirement.

A member of the 2021 recruiting class out of Winter Park (Fla.) High School, Mitchell was considered a high-upside nickel cornerback prospect with the ball skills and fluidity to bolster UF's defense after making bodily advancements upon his arrival.

Mitchell was expected to slot in at Florida's STAR position as a result. However, with his injury impeding the ability to put weight on his frame, he never cracked the rotation and eventually became buried under younger talent in the Gators' defensive back room.

He operated primarily as a safety reserve to begin the 2023 offseason, a room notably composed of RJ Moten, Miguel Mitchell, Kamari Wilson, Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton. 

Mitchell never appeared in a contest for Florida during his two seasons with the program. 

"I have been playing the game of football since I was five years old," he said. "Growing up, football was all I knew and what pushed me to be the best version of myself. The game has been a blessing to this day. Football has brought me many memories and relationships I will always cherish.

"I want to thank the University of Florida for giving me the opportunity to be a Gator. There is nothing better than strapping up in that Orange [and] Blue. The game of football will forever live in me and I will always bleed orange and blue. Go Gators forever!" 

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