Florida Spotlight: Prospects take center stage as high school season begins

There are certain times of the year when the spotlight on recruiting shines brightly, and the beginning of the season is exactly that. Let’s continue this series with five prospects from the Sunshine State by taking a look at some of the top prospects who are sure to be on the radar.

In this series: Midwest prospects take center stage as high school season begins | Southeast prospects | South Central prospects

The Oklahoma product from Canada is preparing for his first 11-on-11 game at Miami (Fla.) Central High School after playing at Mobile Christian High School in Alabama Preparation for third grade.

Bukader already has plenty of offers as a dynamic interior defensive lineman, further evidenced by some stellar offseason performances, but now he’s anchoring one of the most star-studded, One of the most watched teams.

The four-star prospect hasn’t fully played spring football and has spent more time in Canada recently, including committing to Oklahoma State instead of USC, Miami and others. Now that he’s healthy and about to enter a season, though, his stock could rise even further given the high-profile games and competition he’ll have as a senior.

With Penn State’s Randy Adirika on the wing, ahead of the addition of Miami linebacker Ezekial Marcelin, and a slew of other FBS recruits at center defense, some A breakout performance could go a long way for Bukard.

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Jackson is one of the top athletes in the country at the linebacker position. He also had a strong year as a third-year player in 2023, finishing with 135 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks. With his performance and profile already on the national offer list, Jackson continued as an undisclosed rookie, but a knee injury slowed his offseason and caused him to miss all major training camp activities. That means the industry isn’t comparing Jackson’s abilities head-to-head to other coveted linebackers.

But in the meantime, Jackson has passed the 200-pound mark and has gained significant weight during the offseason of rest and rehab. With some questions surrounding the game and now injuries and subsequent weight gain, Jackson will be an intriguing follower heading into the 2024 season relative to his ability to climb on program-specific recruiting committees and/or in the rankings themselves How high.

Is he a modern linebacker with obvious third-down characteristics, or a secondary playmaker who’s still far from his ceiling? Time will soon tell.

The Michigan State commit participated in IMG Academy media day with a cut of 215 pounds, and he looked smooth during select drills that day. A serious knee injury cost him the 2023 season and most of the spring of 2024 at IMG, so that’s how this article goes.

Johnson, who hails from Savannah, Ga., is described as a downhill defender with a thicker SEC and/or Big Ten frame like a classic bell cow who can improve as the game goes on. Johnson is older and appears to be in the best shape of his prep career, but his slimmer frame could fuel IMG’s three-game winning streak, despite the program’s always-packed national schedule heading into the year.

Can Johnson return to his underclassman form, or will he be a more modern back to split relative to the offense or personnel? As usual, IMG has some talented young backs on campus, but Johnson will be taking over as RB1 this fall, so it won’t be long before we get some answers.

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Melendez’s recruitment was one of the most controversial at the linebacker position in the country and another physical specimen following a serious knee injury. When healthy, he has shown the ability to be a two-way player with devastating power and explosiveness regardless of formation or assignment. The injury costs most of the 2023 season, though, so tape’s commitment to Miami is actually somewhat limited relative to other blue-chip linebacker recruits around the country.

The nearly 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect is now cleared for full pads ahead of the 2024 season, but questions about his game remain with the projection. Melendez can shoot and work downhill as well as any linebacker in this class, but the third-down value will likely have to come into play as a pass rusher or in coverage. A well-rounded approach could help him rank among the top projections in the class, while unanswered questions could push him in the other direction into a very strong off-ball backing unit.

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An impressive skill position prospect nationally, Moore had one of the most productive campaigns at the position in 2022 before declining slightly as a junior in 2023 and more. Much of the project focused on stopping him first against Pembroke Pines (Fla.) West Broward High School.

Entering his senior season, he appears to have put his body into the best shape of his prep career, drawing some comparisons physically to former No. 1 prospect Jeremy Smith. Of course, playing a role and playing a role are two different situations, as the Florida State commit will still target him as the school’s premier college prospect.

Regardless, elite prospects find ways to dominate games even against stiff competition in South Florida, so as Miami and Florida State continue to try to flip high ceilings, the power Moore brings to the table will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the region and beyond. focus.

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