A Gators football walk-on student-athlete earned a $10,000 scholarship Wednesday.
Gators redshirt freshman edge rusher Charles Emanuel III earned the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation’s Walk On scholarship, which is awarded to two walk-on collegiate athletes each year. Head coach Billy Napier announced it during a team film session Wednesday.
“My experiences taught me that no matter how tough things get, no matter how unfair the circumstances may seem, I am responsible for my own success,” Emanuel II said in his scholarship application. “I learned to silence the noise, block out the doubt, and focus on what I could control: my attitude and my effort."
The Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation’s Walk On scholarship awards exemplary walk-on student-athletes to ease financial stress while athletes focus on balancing school and sports.
The scholarship came about following Baker’s collegiate journey, which started as a walk-on at Texas Tech. Baker transferred to Oklahoma, where he won a Heisman Trophy and became the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In high school, Emmanuel played for Lake Nona High School in Orlando as a wide receiver and ranked No. 253 in Florida. During his senior year, he played in the Elite 100 Prospect Senior All-Star Game.
UF head coach Billy Napier said in a press conference that Emanuel III has “a great story.”
“We're certainly happy for him and thankful for Baker and his story, and how he's using that story to inspire a lot of young people,” Napier said.
This year is the scholarship’s inaugural year. The first recipient was University of Oklahoma's redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jakeb Synder.
"Seeing Charles using his experiences to drive him to be better, both on and off the field, stood out the most to me, and we are so honored to be able to help him achieve his goals and dreams,” Baker said.
Contact Megan Howard at mhoward@alligator.org. Follow her on X @meganmhxward.
Megan is the Fall 2025 metro editor of The Alligator. She has worked as a reporter for the university and metro desks, and she previously worked as the opinions editor and senior news director. In the summer she interned at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In her free time she likes to read as she attempts to beat her Goodreads goal.
