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Former Gators Edge Brenton Cox Jr. Accepts East-West Shrine Bowl Invite

Former Florida Gators edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. accepts an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl game.

Brandon Carroll

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Former Florida Gators edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. accepted his invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl Game on Tuesday afternoon as he prepares for the 2023 NFL Draft, announced by the bowl game's Twitter account.

Cox, who started the first eight games of the year for the Gators, was dismissed from the program after Florida's 41-20 loss to Georgia in week nine for unknown reasons. Hours after the reports surfaced regarding said departure, Cox shared that the dismissal was "truly a shock" in a letter that simultaneously declared his entry into the 2023 NFL Draft pool.

As he looks to keep his professional hopes alive after spending the back half of the season off of the collegiate gridiron, Cox has committed to playing in the postseason bowl game.

The edge rusher tallied 117 tackles, 14.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and one forced fumble in his three seasons at Florida. He was widely considered the Gators' ace pass rusher over his career in Gainesville.

However, since he left, Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. and Princely Umanmielen have come out of their shells to create increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks compared to the early season performances from the Gators' defense. Florida's defense has tallied five sacks and forced five turnovers in the last two games without Cox to pitch a shutout in the previous six quarters of play.

Cox will look to perform at a high level in front of the NFL scouts in attendance at the bowl game to boost his draft stock on Thursday, February 3.

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Brandon Carroll
BRANDON CARROLL

Brandon Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Florida. He serves as the lead reporter for the Florida Gators FanNation-Sports Illustrated website, covering football, basketball and recruiting. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys listening to music, playing flag football and basketball, spending time with his friends and family, and watching an array of television shows. Follow him on Twitter @itsbcarroll.

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