play on the West Coast mainly because of the opportunities presented for his career after football. College career While attending the University of California, Los Angeles, Mitchell played for the UCLA Bruins football team from 1997 to 2000. He sat out the 1997 season by taking a redshirt and subsequently lengthening his college football eligibility. In his first game, a 49–31 win over Texas on September 12, 1998, Mitchell threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Brian Poli-Dixon and had four catches for 108 yards and one touchdown pass (79 yards) from quarterback Cade McNown. He had one rushing attempt for 30 yards on a reverse, 78 yards on three kickoff returns, and 17 yards on three punt returns. He was named the Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the game. On September 19, Mitchell had surgery on his left femur after suffering a fracture at the end of a kickoff return in the first quarter of a 42–24 win over Houston the same day. Mitchell was expected to miss the rest of the season. However, after a "remarkable" recovery, according to a member of the UCLA medical staff, Mitchell was able to play for eleven snaps in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1999. He threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Durell Price on a flea flicker play in the first quarter of the loss to Wisconsin. In the summer prior to the 1999 season, Mitchell and Poli-Dixon trained with Minnesota Vikings receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter in Florida. Mitchell, Poli-Dixon, Danny Farmer, and the rest of the UCLA receiving corps called themselves "The Birds" for their ability to "fly all over the field." Mitchell was hampered by a knee cartilage issue throughout his redshirt sophomore season. In his first career start, replacing the injured Farmer in the season-opener against Boise State, Mitchell had one catch for 11 yards from Drew Bennett, one kickoff return for 15 yards, and four punt returns for 33 yards. In the next week in a loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Mitchell again started in place of Farmer and gained 31 yards on two reverses, had four kickoff returns for 73 yards and completed a pass for 18 yards. In a 35–21 win over Fresno State on September 18, Mitchell, again starting in place of Farmer, caught nine passes for 149 yards, both career-highs. Mitchell caught 10 passes