Wide receivers Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes, who transferred to the Florida Gators this offseason, have received waivers granting immediate eligibility from the NCAA, the school announced Thursday.
Grimes, who appeared in two games and caught three passes at Ohio State last season, is eligible to play immediately. However, because Jefferson, a former Ole Miss product, transferred within the conference, he will need an additional intraconference waiver from the SEC.
That should be a formality since the SEC passed a rule this spring allowing the immediate eligibility of players leaving programs under NCAA-mandated postseason bans.
Last December, the NCAA banned Ole Miss from postseason play in 2018 as part of its punishment resulting from a years long investigation that uncovered 15 Level 1 violations.
In his two seasons at Ole Miss, Jefferson caught 91 passes for 999 yards and four touchdowns.
Both he and Grimes are expected to compete for starting roles at Florida.
"I'm excited for Trevon and Van," first-year Florida coach Dan Mullen said in a statement. "We appreciate the NCAA's understanding in both situations, and are thankful to the [University Athletic Association] administration and compliance staff for their role in helping guide Trevon, Van, their families and our coaching staff through this over the past six-plus months."
The Gators open the season at home against Charleston Southern on Sept. 1 before hosting SEC foe Kentucky the following Saturday.
Mullen, 46, spent the previous nine seasons at Mississippi State, where he won eight or more games five times. He was offensive coordinator at Florida from 2005 to 2008 under then-head coach Urban Meyer.