Adonai Mitchell brings meaningful College Football Playoff experience and production to the Sugar Bowl
Adonai Mitchell has another chance to perform, and score, on the sport’s biggest stage.
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The Georgia transfer will play in his fifth career College Football Playoff game when the No. 3 Texas Longhorns take on the No. 2 Washington Huskies in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Years Day. And if Mitchell has his druthers, he’ll leave New Orleans with a 5-0 record in CFP contests and (at least) a fifth career touchdown reception in Playoff games.
Mitchell, originally from Missouri City, Texas, signed with Georgia in the Bulldogs’ class of 2021. Despite ranking outside the top 300 of the 2021 On3 Industry Ranking, Mitchell carved out a role during his freshman season. He caught 29 passes for 426 yards and four scores, but the timing of two of his touchdown receptions are what stand out about his freshman stat line. Mitchell caught a touchdown versus Michigan during the semifinal then did so again in the championship game versus Alabama on UGA’s way to its first title since 1980.
Injury hampered his sophomore season in Athens, but Mitchell returned to action just in time for the Bulldogs’ second postseason run.
His services were desperately needed in the semifinal, as Mitchell caught the game-winning touchdown with 54 seconds left to boost Georgia past Ohio State and into the national championship game for the second consecutive season. The shape of the game was much different versus TCU in the national championship, as Kirby Smart’s squad dominated the Horned Frogs 65-7. Mitchell still hauled in a touchdown reception, his fourth career in the CFP, to put the Dawgs up 38-7 entering the half.
Following the season, Mitchell entered the transfer portal desiring to move closer to his daughter, Icylinn, and other members of his family. He found a home in Austin, where he has continued to make crucial play after crucial play in the Longhorns’ most important games.
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A 1B to Xavier Worthy’s 1A, Mitchell is second on the catches (51) and receiving yards (813). He leads the team in touchdown receptions with 10. Two of those touchdown catches were in Tuscaloosa, Ala. when the Longhorns topped the Crimson Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium, 34-24. One came versus Kansas State, when the Longhorns needed all eight of his catches for a career-high 149 yards in a thrilling overtime win.
In the Big 12 Championship versus Oklahoma State, Mitchell did something he was unable to achieve at UGA and caught a touchdown pass in a conference title game.
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Mitchell has made other big plays throughout the season. Against TCU, Mitchell hauled in a 35-yard pass from Quinn Ewers on a 3rd and 12 to seal the game and erase the Horned Frogs’ chances at an upset. Versus Houston, Mitchell caught the opening touchdown in what ended as a one-score game. In a battle with Kansas, Mitchell set a career-high with 10 receptions for 141 yards and a score.
When the Longhorns take the Caesars Superdome field in January 1, Mitchell will seek to make more big plays as Texas and Washington battle for a spot in the CFP National Championship. The chances of UT winning would greatly improve if Mitchell is able to do what he’s done in every CFP game he’s appeared in and haul in a scoring catch.
