Florida State's Jaheim Bell Returns Fire at UF's Kingsley Eguakun

The Seminoles and Gators are already chomping at the bit for November's matchup.

Tommy Mire | Jul 22, 2023

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The Florida-Florida State game brings strong emotions for fans and even stronger ones for the players participating in the classic rivalry, which dates back to the late 1950s. Overall the Florida Gators have a 37-27 edge in the series and had a winning streak dating back to 2017 until a season ago.

Last year, the Seminoles and the Gators duked it out in Tallahassee, which ended in a field-storming 45-38 victory for the home team and marked the highest-scoring game in series history. UF head coach Billy Napier will be entering his second season at the helm, and the Gators are looking for payback.

It is safe to say that the blazing fire of the rivalry is still burning bright after UF's Kingsley Eguakun's comments at the podium during SEC Media Days earlier this week.

"Most challenging opponent. I don’t really know who the most challenging opponent would be, to be honest," Eguakun said. "I know everybody works pretty hard, but I can tell you who I’m most excited to play is FSU. I don’t like those guys at all, so I’m excited to go after them for sure."

Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) gets sacked by the Florida State Seminoles defense. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Florida Gators 45-38 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022 :: © Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

South Carolina transfer tight end Jaheim Bell has yet to participate in the rivalry but knows the Gators all too well. Last year, Florida routed the Gamecocks 38-6, a game in which Bell had his longest rush of the season at 18 yards. But the blowout could have left a bad taste in the mouth of the No. 1 transfer tight end in 2022.

Bell took to Twitter in response to Eguakun's comments as he gears up to face Florida in garnet and gold.

"Yu ain't gonna like it but yu gone respect it."

yu ain’t gotta like it but yu gone respect it 💯 https://t.co/cK9Ui9Cq4W
— Jaheim Bell (@dba_bell) July 21, 2023

Bell is listed at 6-foot-3, 233 lbs. out of Lake City, Florida. In three seasons at South Carolina, he played in 30 games, starting in 11 of them. He recorded 56 catches for 757 yards and seven touchdowns, adding an additional 301 yards on the ground.

It seems everyone has the 'Noles on their mind following last year, in which FSU went 10-3 (5-3 ACC) and finished No. 11 in the AP Poll. The two teams will face off once again in late November, this time at the Gators' home field, "The Swamp" in Gainesville.

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Published Jul 22, 2023

TOMMY MIRE

Tommy Mire joined NoleGameday in 2023 as a writer and editor. He initially worked as lead voice at SBNation's Tomahawk Nation and contributes to football, NFL and recruiting coverage. Connect with Tommy on Twitter at @TommyM3III