Prophecy comes true for FIU’s breakout star wide receiver Kris Mitchell

The text message was prophetic.

FIU wide receiver Kris Mitchell got it prior to Thursday’s 38-37 overtime win over visiting Bryant University.

“My ‘Pops’ told me I would score two touchdowns,” he said of his father, Kevin Mitchell. “I guess he knows the future.”

Kevin certainly got that one right as his son caught three passes for a career-high 80 yards and two fourth-quarter scores. Prior to Thursday, Mitchell had scored just one TD in three years at FIU, and that was a 50-yarder against Charlotte last season.

FIU mounts comeback in season opener to beat Bryant in OT for first win in nearly a year

Then again, Mitchell – who won a state title during an 11-TD senior season at Jacksonville Mandarin in 2018 – is on his fourth receivers coach. He has also overcome two injuries this year alone.

“It’s been a bumpy road,” Mitchell said. “Each coach has a different style.”

Mitchell, a 6-1, 175-pounder, redshirted in 2019 and then got a major shock when the FIU family lost receivers coach Aubrey Hill to cancer on August 16, 2020.

Playing with a heavy heart that season, Mitchell played four out of five games in the COVID-shortened season, catching four passes for 39 yards. Mitchell also battled COVID that year, playing for position coach D.J. McCarthy.

Last year, playing for position coach Andrew Breiner – who is now in the NFL as the Jaguars’ assistant quarterbacks coach – Mitchell started three games. He had nine catches for 158 yards in 10 total games.

This spring, playing under position coach Jay MacIntyre – son of the head coach Mike MacIntyre – Mitchell had a teammate fall on his ankle, causing him to miss time.

“I still caught a TD pass in the Spring Game,” Mitchell said proudly.

In fall camp, Mitchell suffered yet another setback as FIU linebacker Gaethan Bernadel’s tackle left the receiver with a concussion.

“I had to sit out a couple of weeks, battling that, feeling down on myself,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a tough time.”

Mitchell’s injuries likely contributed to him opening Thursday as a second-stringer behind Tyrese Chambers, Jalen Bracey and Randall St. Felix.

Chambers, considered FIU’s best overall player, had a game-high-tying eight catches for a team-high 86 yards and two touchdowns.

But other than Chambers and Mitchell, the rest of FIU’s wide receivers combined for just four catches for 28 yards.

Meanwhile, all 80 of Mitchell’s yards came in the second half on throws from backup quarterback Grayson James, who entered the game in the third quarter after Gunnar Holmberg suffered a concussion.

“I wasn’t expecting it, honestly,” Mitchell said of his breakthrough performance. “Coming in as a two (second string), I wasn’t getting that many snaps in the first half.

“But I stayed locked in, and I kept hyping up my teammates.”

Mitchell said he was not surprised by James’ four-touchdown, no-interception performance off the bench.

“Highly expected of him,” Mitchell said. “He’s a young guy, but I knew he could do that.”

Perhaps Mitchell’s most impressive play on Thursday was his 17-yard touchdown grab that gave FIU a 20-16 lead with 9:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On that play, Mitchell got body slammed -- not that he minded.

“That’s football,” Mitchell said with a shrug. “I’m used to it, and it actually felt good.

“At FIU, we protect the ball. That’s what it’s all about.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ James on Mike MacIntyre’s game-winning decision to go for two points in overtime on Thursday: “You always like the confidence. You want to go for the win. We worked on that play a lot. We expected man-to-man (defense), and with EJ (Wilson) coming out of the backfield, we like that look a lot.”