Former Penn State Receiver Justin Shorter Granted Waiver at Florida

Justin Shorter, the former Penn State receiver who transferred to Florida, will be eligible to play this season.

Former Penn State receiver Justin Shorter announced Thursday that he has received an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility, meaning he can play this season at Florida.

Shorter announced the news on his Instagram stories. Florida confirmed the decision Friday to the Associated Press.

"Finally Got the waiver... go time," Shorter wrote.

Shorter transferred to Florida in January following his second year at Penn State. A five-star prize of Penn State's 2018 recruiting class, Shorter sought a fresh start after a season in which he was injured, lost his starting job and caught 12 passes in 10 games.

Shorter decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal before Penn State's regular-season finale against Rutgers. In announcing Shorter's decision last November, Penn State coach James Franklin said that the transfer portal has discouraged some players from facing adversity.

Franklin referenced the situation with former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki, who worked through a 13-catch season as a sophomore to make 105 receptions the next two years.

"I know there are people on both sides of the fence, but I do believe strongly that college athletics, I felt like, really taught adversity and battling through things," Franklin said last November. "And [the transfer portal] has changed that dynamic. They’re the best stories to me: the guys who have battled through it. If we had the transfer portal when Mike Gesicki was here, would it have played out the way it did?"

Florida is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 26 at Mississippi.

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