The 2024 recruiting cycle already is in full swing.
Several of the top players in the state, including Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, IMG cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, Rockledge safety Jaylen Heyward, Largo edge rusher Adarius Hayes and Columbus edge rusher/outside linebacker TJ Capers already announced their college commitment.
Here are some of the players from around the state recruiting fans should already have on their radar as well as some players to keep an eye on.
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Big Bend
Name you should know: Florida High ATH Micahi Danzy
Let’s start with the obvious: Danzy has elite speed. The 6-foot, 175-pound running back/safety was the state runner-up in the 400 and finished fourth in the 200 in 2022. On the football field, Danzy rushed for 1,809 yards and 17 touchdowns in the fall. Arkansas, Florida State and Georgia are among the schools who have offered.
Name you should remember: Munroe ATH Nehemiah Chandler
The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Chandler scored seven touchdowns — including a pair of defensive scores — and broke up eight passes for Munroe’s Final Four team in 2022. Colleges have taken notice as Georgia Tech, Liberty, UCF and USF have offered in the past few weeks.
Bradenton-Sarasota
Name you should know: Riverview CB Charles Lester III
The 6-foot-1, 171-pound Lester released a top five of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State and Ohio State on New Year’s Day. Lester led Riverview with 354 receiving yards and four touchdowns and had 18 tackles and an interception during the regular season in 2022.
Name you should remember: Venice QB Jaydn Glasser
Glasser threw for 2,624 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for a team-best 505 yards and 15 touchdowns at South Plantation in 2022. The 6-foot, 180-pound dual-threat quarterback should have plenty of chances to show what he can do considering Venice annually plays one of the toughest schedules in the state.
Daytona Beach
Name you should know: Flagler Palm Coast LB Rodney Hill
Hill is poised to become the first Power 5 signee in FPC’s history. The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder had offers from Iowa State, Tennessee, UCF and others. Hill led Flager with 125 tackles in 2022, when he also had 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and a 99-yard interception return for a score.
Name you should remember: Mainland DL Ramon McCollough Jr.
McCollough (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) had 53 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, six sacks and a fumble recovery in 2022, when Mailand reached the Class 3S state championship game. Liberty, Tulane, UNC-Charlotte, Florida A&M and others have offered in the past two months.
Fort Lauderdale
Name you should know: Chaminade-Madonna WR Jeremiah Smith
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Smith is on the short list for best player in the nation. The Ohio State commit led a loaded Chaminade receiving group with 58 catches, 1,073 yards and 20 touchdowns in 13 games. His one-handed touchdown catch in the Class 1A championship game was one of the best of the year.
Name you should remember: Dillard ILB Keith Thompson
Thompson recorded 64 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks and helped Dillard reach the regional semifinals in 2022. The 6-foot, 220-pounder has offers from several Group of 5 schools, including Bowling Green, FIU, Georgia State and Western Kentucky.
Fort Myers
Name you should know: Dunbar WR Tawaski Abrams
The speedy 5-foot-11, 175-pound Abrams played a key role for Dunbar’s Final Four team in 2022 when he caught 37 passes for 429 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 248 yards and two scores. Abrams verbally committed to Florida State in January.
Name you should remember: Dunbar EDGE Vanier Baptiste
Baptiste led Dunbar with 28 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries and was tied for the team lead with seven sacks during the first 12 games of 2022. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound lineman has been offered by Temple, Western Kentucky and Penn.
Gainesville
Name you should know: Buchholz DL Kendall Jackson
Jackson is heading into his third year as a starter for Buchholz. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound lineman was a first-team all-area selection in 2022 when he helped the Bobcats reach the state semifinals for the second consecutive year. Jackson’s offers include Florida, Kentucky, Miami and Ole Miss.
Name you should remember: Bradford LB Chason Clark
Clark was an impact player for Bradford at linebacker and tight end in 2022. He recorded 101 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and five sacks for one of the best defenses in the state. Clark is picking up interest on the recruiting trail and recently was offered by Eastern Michigan.
IMG
Name you should know: DL David Stone
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Stone is one of the nation’s premier defensive linemen. He announced a top 10 of Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC in late December.
Name you should remember: OL Santana Alo-Tupuola
An athletic interior lineman, Alo-Tupuola started at center for IMG last season. The 6-foot-1, 325-pounder has offers from Appalachian State, Florida, Hawaii and UNLV.
Jacksonville
Name you should know: Trinity Christian QB Colin Hurley
The LSU commit is heading into his final year of high school after reclassifying from the class of 2025. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Hurley, who helped Trinity win the Class 2A championship in 2021, threw for 1,513 yards and 17 touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown last fall.
Name you should remember: Trinity Christian WR Miles Burris
The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Burris led Trinity Christian with 32 catches for 664 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. He picked up his first Power 5 offer from Pitt and also holds offers from several Group of 5 schools including Central Michigan, UNC Charlotte, Coastal Carolina and Ohio.
Lakeland
Name you should know: Lakeland S Brayshon Williams
The athletic 5-foot-11, 173-pound Williams has been offered by many of the top programs in the nation, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, USC as well as the major state schools. He had six tackles, an interception and broke up a pass for the state champion Dreadnaughts in 2022.
Name you should remember: Lake Wales LB Johnquae Richardson
Richardson’s performance in the Class 3S state championship game — tied for the team lead with six solo tackles, second among all players with 11 tackles, game-best 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble — was a solid reflection of his impact on the Highlanders. The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder could see his recruiting take off this spring.
Miami
Name you should know: Columbus OLB/EDGE TJ Capers
Here’s a snapshot of Capers’ talent: He immediately became the biggest highest-ranked commit in Louisville history when he verbally committed in January. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Capers had 70 tackles, seven sacks and 11 quarterback hurries before a season-ending injury.
Name you should remember: Booker T. Washington RB Antwan Smith
Smith (6-foot, 211 pounds) had a breakout season in 2022 when he rushed for 1,530 yards and 21 touchdowns for the district champion Tornadoes. Smith currently has offers from several Group of 5 schools including Akron, Appalachian State, FAU and FIU.
Naples
Name you should know: Naples DB Kensley Faustin
Faustin came in at No. 11 on the News-Press/Naples Daily News Big 15 in 2022. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. Faustin had 42 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions and six passes defended last season.
Name you should remember: Naples DL Luke Walker
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Walker had a breakout season in 2022. He racked up 69 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hurries, six sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery as Naples reached the regional championship last fall.
Northeast Florida
Name you should know: Columbia WR Camdon Frier
Frier, also one of the top baseball players in the state, led Columbia with 27 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns in 2022. Frier verbally committed to Florida State — the same school where his father and uncle played — in late January.
Name you should remember: Yulee LB Rylan Hale
Hale, who also plays tight end, had a breakout year defensively in 2022 when he had 90 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hale’s older brother, Landon, signed with FIU in December. Colleges should be coming after Rylan soon.
Northwest Florida
Name you should know: Choctawhatchee RB Cole Tabb
Tabb is coming off a monster season when he finished second in the state with for 2,407 yards, scored 24 rushing touchdowns, caught 20 passes for 346 yards and two receiving scores. The 5-foot-8, 190-pounder has offers from Kansas, Kansas State, N.C. State, Utah and several others.
Name you should remember: Choctawhatchee QB Jesse Winslette
At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Winslette has prototypical size and shows nice touch on his passes. He threw for 1,881 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 545 yards and 11 scores. He accounted for more than 600 yards and 10 touchdowns in three regional playoff games last season.
Ocala
Name you should know: Vanguard S Fred Gaskin
Gaskin announced a top eight of Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee in January. The two-way starter threw for 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns, rushed for 582 yards and five touchdowns and recorded 29 tackles, broke up 12 passes and intercepted three passes. in 2022
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Name you should remember: Vanguard OL Teriyan Morman
The 6-foot-4, 297-pound Morman primarily lined up at right tackle last season. He’s seen his recruiting pick up over the past month and picked up offers from Boston College, Liberty and USF.
Orlando
Name you should know: Jones DT D’Antre Robinson
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Robinson has offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, USC and others. He made 57 tackles, three tackles for loss and had one sack in 2022, when Jones reached the state semifinals.
Name you should remember: Seminole CB Chasen Johnson
Johnson, who also runs track, is poised to see his recruitment take off over the next few months. In his first year at cornerback, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Johnson had 20 tackles, four passes broken up, six blocked kicks and returned one for a score. Iowa State, Louisville and Pitt offered in January.
Palm Beach
Name you should know: Benajmin RB Chauncey Bowens
Bowens (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) is a physical, downhill runner who had 130 carries for 940 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and scored eight rushing touchdowns in 20022. He committed to Florida in September after an unofficial visit, but Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others have offered the past two months.
Name you should remember: Dwyer EDGE/TE Dylan Reiman
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Reiman absolutely passes the eyeball test. He had 21 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 2022. South Florida and Akron offered in January.
Pensacola
Name you should know: Pine Forest OL/DL Jonathan Daniels
Daniels (6-foot-5, 280 pounds) played right tackle and was credited with 17 pancake blocks for a Pine Forest team that went-to-wire as the No. 1 team in Class 3S during the regular season. Daniels’ offers include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Name you should remember: Pensacola Catholic ATH Demontrae Gaston
Gaston caught 23 passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns and had 37 tackles, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and five passes defended. Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Liberty, Tulane and USF are among the schools to offer the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder.
St. Augustine
Name you should know: Bartram Trail QB Riley Trujillo
The dual-threat quarterback completed 132 of 231 passes for 1,910 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 710 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, when Bartram Trail went undefeated in the regular season and reached the regional final. His offers include Arkansas, Duke, Indiana, Maryland, UCF and Virginia Tech.
Name you should remember: Beachside WR Bryce Gee
Gee, who also plays basketball, had 30 catches for 632 yards (team-best 21.1 yards per catch) and scored a team-high 12 touchdowns in 2022. He’s been offered by Appalachian State and Bowling Green.
Space Coast
Name you should know: Rockledge S Jaylen Heyward
The Georgia commit is one of the premier safeties in the nation. The 5-foot-11 1/2, 180-pound Heyward recorded 44 tackles, broke up eight passes, intercepted two passes and forced three fumbles in 12 games in 2022.
Name you should remember: Palm Bay RB Octavion Osby
The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder, who recently won a conference wrestling championship, currently has offers from USF and Prairie View A&M. Osby rushed for 298 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Tampa-St. Petersburg
Name you should know: Wharton EDGE Booker Pickett Jr.
Pickett, who is dropping his top schools on Valentine’s Day, has offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC and many others. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickett had 56 tackles in 2022 and led the Wildcats with 30 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Name you should remember: Tampa Catholic EDGE Joseph Doston
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Doston is long and athletic. He had 33 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception and one pass defended in 2022. He picked up his first Power 5 offer, from Boston College, in January. Doston also has offers from FIU and UAB.
Treasure Coast
Name you should know: Vero Beach QB Tyler Aronson
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Aronson committed to SMU before hus juniro year. He completed 121 of 183 passes (66.1 percent completion percentage) for 1,683 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for three scores before suffering a season-ending thumb injury in 2022.
Name you should remember: Jensen Beach RB Dennis Palmer Jr.
Palmer’s breakout season — 226 carries, 1,640 rushing yards, 48 catches, 506 receiving yards, 30 total touchdowns — was a big reason why Jensen Beach reached the regional championship for the first time in program history. FAU and Brown have offered the all-purpose back so far.