DES MOINES, Iowa —

Drake has officially introduced Griff III, the next live mascot and the successor to Griff II.

Related video above: Drake's beloved live mascot, Griff II, retiring this spring

The university announced earlier this week Griff II would retire at the end of the 2026 spring semester after six years as Drake's live mascot. Next in line: Griff III, who live mascot program director Erin Bell describes as "an incredibly special guy."

"We monitored his progress and development over a period of months and it became very apparent that he possesses all the necessary qualities to be Griff III," Bell said in a news release announcing Griff III. "He's curious, gentle, brave, and a very funny guy. He is highly food motivated, which will certainly help with training.”

Griff III is a

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