At 5 years old, when kids are still making sense of the world around them, this former Florida safety, found his calling early. Even before his breakthrough in high school, he was already wreaking havoc in Pop Warner leagues at that young age. And eventually earned a scholarship offer from the Gators in 2021. The kid in the story grew up to be Dakota Mitchell. But sadly, while Mitchell’s first love was always football, football in turn didn’t return the favor.

“Growing up, football was all I knew and what pushed me to be the best version of myself,” said Mitchell in 2023. Consequently, in high school, Mitchell established himself as a top defensive player, leading his team to the 2020 FHSAA Class 8A Region 2 quarterfinals. Mitchell’s versatility to play both as a nickel and cornerback,

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