The University of South Florida will be without its top receiver and deep threat when the Bulls face Rutgers in an ESPN Thursday night game.
Carlton Mitchell, who suffered a high ankle sprain against West Virginia on Oct. 30, will not travel with the team to Piscataway, N.J., Coach Jim Leavitt said.
With Mitchell's absence, the opportunity is there for another receiver to take over the playmaker role against the Scarlet Knights.
One candidate is standout freshman Sterling Griffin, who has shown flashes with catches of 73 and 41 yards. He is USF's fourth-leading receiver with nine receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Griffin said he expected to be a key contributor as a freshman.
"I'm not really surprised," said Griffin, who averages 21.1 yards per catch. "I came out in the summer and in camp and worked hard and took notes from the older guys and just did everything the coaches said. I knew I was capable of playing when I came here, so I just came out and did what I had to do."
SEASON OVER: Backup CB Tyson Butler will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Leavitt said.
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