UK Athletics Photo
Kentucky running back commit Tovani Mizell of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently joined us on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk and he knew plenty about Anthony White, the former UK all-SEC running back who is a regular on the weekly show.
White ran for 1,758 yards and 11 touchdowns from 1997-99 and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. He still ranks 13th on UK’s all-time rushing list. During those same three years with Tim Couch and Dusty Bonner at quarterback, he caught 194 passes for 1,520 yards and eight scores while averaging 7.8 yards per catch. The only UK players with more catches are Craig Yeast (208) and Derek Abney (197).
White is also ninth on UK’s all-time career receiving yardage list with his 1,520 yards and two of those ahead of him — Yeast and Quentin McCord — were his UK teammates in the Air Raid offense. White’s 78 catches in 1998 are the fifth-best mark at UK behind Wan’Dale Robinson (104), James Whalen (90), Yeast (85) and Randall Cobb (84).
“He was a very versatile player,” Mizell said about White. “That’s how I see myself and how I want to play. He’s someone I want to be like. He was doing that before anyone else was doing that.”
Mizell said offensive coordinator Liam Coen likes his versatility where he can be used in both the running and passing games like White was 25 years ago.
“I am a versatile back and the way the offense runs is part of why I committed because he told me I am the kind of back he needs to run that offense,” Mizell said.
The 6-0, 214-pound Mizell has been timed in 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had over 30 scholarship offers when he committed to Kentucky.
Former Kentucky defensive back Littleton Ward, who thinks White should be in the UK Athletics Hall of Fame, thinks Mizell has the credentials to be a special player.
“That is a lot of power and speed and explosion. Somebody is going to have a terrible collision trying to tackle him. A cornerback coming downhill has to make that play. I am going to make a decision: do I go low on this guy to get him down because if you go waist up it’s going to be ugly with his speed and size,” Ward said. “You just don’t see guys like that all the time.”
Mizell wants more big-time talent around him. He met UK quarterback commit Cutter Boley of Lexington Christian Academy on his visit.
“He is a really cool kid and a great quarterback,” Mizell said. “To win championships you need an amazing quarterback and he is the perfect quarterback to do that which also helped me make my decision to come to UK.”
He’s been trying to recruit other players, including 6-1, 165-pound Florida receiver Hardley Gilmore, the No. 298 overall player nationally and the No. 45 receiver in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“I been trying to get couple of kids. I have known him (Gilmore) for a minute and having him on the team would be huge,” Mizell said.
Mizell’s goal is to win a state championship this season while proving those who have doubted him that they are wrong.
“One of my main things is to prove everybody wrong. I have kind of been slept on the last couple of years,” Mizell said. “At one time I was No. 39 in my class but they (recruiting rankings) have been kind of playing with me. I want to put my name on the map and get my fifth star.”
