Northeast Florida has lots of talent, and this year is unique because covid hampered many college coache’s opportunities to see all the talent. Well, we figured we’d brign the talent to them in this feature. We highlight the most underrated college prospects in Northeast Florida. These are guys who have the film, have the measurables
Gregory Washington Jr. – 6’0, 225lbs, LB, Riverside HS, 0 offers
The mot underrated player in Northeast Florida, Gregory Washington Jr has done everything on the field. He led Baldwin to an undefeated regular season (10-0) and to a playoff birth in his junior season. His junior campaign saw him tally 87 tackles, 1 sack, and 4 interceptions with 4 forced fumbles. His sophomore season, Washington registered 88 tackles, and 4 sacks. There’s literally nothing on the field from the linebacker position that he has not accomplished. Now he’s at Riverside on a great defense, hopefully he will catch fire in the recruiting game.
Camillo Rollins ,6’2″ 240lbs Baker Co – If you dont account for this big bodied linebacker in the middle he will make you pay. He blitzes well at the point of attack and gets off blocks when rushing the passer. He could show more lateral movement to highlight his ability to pursue quick ball carriers.
Alquarious Ray – 5’10, 210lbs, Clay HS, 4 offers
Ray led the area in rushing last year running for 1898 and 26 touchdowns. I think it’s safe to say that a guy with that resume should have more offer than four. Also, those offers are from very small schools, St. Thomas, Webber , Stetson, and Allen University. Ray should have big time offers from schools like FAU, FIU, USF, Georgia Southern, etc. More will certainly come for Alquerious, it’s frustrating for sure playing the waiting game.
Jacob Corley, ATH, Atlantic Coast , 6’1, 175lbs, 3 offers
One of the most dynamic playmakers in the area. He’s versatile and will make plays on every area on the field. Every athlete in the city knows who he is, He has earned their respect as that guy that college coaches need to get to know and in an hurry. Small offers from Jacksonville Athletic Academy (Jucco),and Savannah Prep. He certainly deserves bigger school offers from D1 programs. He’s that type of talent!
DL Johnathan Goddard, Jr., Trinity Christian, 6’1″ 220lbs, 1 offer
Dynamic pass edge rusher was a force by season’s end for champions; eight sacks, 15 tackles for loss. Sealed the victory for Trinity. He’ll stand up and play MLB more this year which bodes well for his development at the next level. He has Eastern Kentucky as an offer. Marshall should definitely show interest and offer seeing that he is a legacy Thunder Herd! D1 prospect all day is Goddard.
6’0, 195lbs, RB Preston Strope – Creekside –0 offers
Strope is a big back that finds day light on inside zones and traps. He’s their true work horse scoring 20 TDs, and rushing 1,216 yards. He finished tied #9 in Total TDs, tied-#13 in Scoring, and Top 25 in Rushing Yards in the state. It’s baffling why a young man like this doesn’t have several college offers in his bookbag. Strope will get his chance at the next level, schools will call him in January and he’ll sign in February.
LB Caden Morrell, Trinity Christian, 6’0, 200lbs, 0 offers
One of the most aggressive linebackers in the area. Watch out for this monster, he punishes everything on his way to the football. Played a pivotal role in Trinity’s championship run on defense last year. Superb Blitzer who is a sure tackler. “KK” should have several D1 offers. Turn on the film.
Jahiem Odom, Atlantic Coast 6’1, 190lb, DB, 6 offers
He’s got a big frame and he uses it well in the secondary. Odom will make lots of plays for Atlantic Coast and has the ability to cover man and zone . Normally a kid with 6 offers wouldn’t be on this list but Odom deserves to have bigger offers for sure. D1, maybe even power 5’s but definitely FBS level offers from the next level.
Conner Nobles, SR., West Nassau.2022– 5’9″ 190lbs , 0 offers
Nobles runs to daylight when he gets the ball in his hands and makes plays for the Warriors. He’s deceptively fast and can split defenders at times. I call him the poor man’s Kade Frew and that’s pretty good. Frew has 15 D1 offers and is committed to Air Force. Nobles should definitely have some small school offers. He can play at the next level and should.
Bryce Johnson, LB Bartram Trail 2022, 6’2, 205 – 2 offers ( Jackson St, Arkansas State )
Johnson is a big linebacker for Bartram who plays football and wrestles. His 70 tackles, and 3 interceptions last year were one of the best in the area. Although he has two offers, Johnson is the type of talent that has the measurables which deserves more.
Shuan Davis, OL Trinity, 6’4, 340lbs , 0 offers
The most imposing offensive lineman in the class of 2022 is Shuan Davis. He was loyal to Ribault High School for three years with no offers and decided to try his luck at Trinity. all he’s done in his first two games is pave the way for two 100 plus yard rushing efforts and multiple rushing touchdowns on the ground. Against Raines, Trinity ran for over 250 yards, go back and look at some of those holes the running backs are running through created by Davis. He’s very sound in pass blocking, protecting freshman QB Colin Hurley.
Vince Approbato LB Creekside , 6’0, 220 LB
Approbato registered a safety/ sack in the season opener and pressured Ribault Backs all day. That was just a glimpse of what this big time player can do. He’s a next level talent and will get offers if he keeps creating havoc in opponent’s backfields.
Dylan Stubbs DB , Oakleaf 2022, 6’0″, 175lbs – 0 offers
Stubbs is a ball hawk and showed last year for Trinity just how valuable he is to secondary. He grabbed an interception in the Episcopal playoff game. He was also instrumental in making plays on balls in the championship game and regular season. He’s always around the ball, which makes for ideal play makers at the next level. Colleges should be beating down this talented defensive back’s door fighting for him. A good statistical year at Oakleaf this year , I feel will have them doing it.
Jalen Sonnier QB, Jackson 2022, 6’1, 180lbs, 0 offers
Sonnier has all the intangibles to be the best QB prospect mechanically out of NE Florida. Size, speed and smarts, look for Sonnier to make enough big pays to turn lots of heads by the end of the season. With is mechanics and arm talent, Sonnier should have offers from FBS schools.
Daniel Plummer , Riverside High- , 2022 QB , 6’0, 175lbs – 0 offers
Plummer is ready to lead the reigns at Riverside after a few weeks of tune up and competition. Where ever he has gone he has won the QB battle, because coaches know despite their loyalty to a kid that was already there, Plummer is just the better quarterback. Plummer has gotten the short end of the stick several times to be honest. He was at Trinity since middle school playing football but wasn’t afforded the opportunity to compete for a starting position. He hardly received reps from with the varsity first team. He’s forced to leave the school he loves in order to chase the dream he wants. He lands at Creekside where he has a QB competition with a wide receiver turned quarterback. It was the one of the most confusing QB competitions I’ve ever seen. Plummer eventually won that job at Creekside. He was asked to come back to Trinity after JaCory Jordan went off to college. Plummer, a rising senior was asked to lead the offense this year however Colin Hurly, a rising freshman was also in the mix. After a spring game where Hurley tossed a touchdown and Plummer was unable to play due to transfer rules, Hurley was given the keys and Plummer was left searching for a home. He decided to try Riverside, but the Generals already had Cale Zarah who has been their starting QB on a winning program for several years. He is a team leader and beloved by coaches. Yet Plummer went to compete for the job anyway. This mentality shows he will stop at nothing to obtain his goals and dreams. This is the type of player college coaches at the next level are looking for. His size will care some schools, but Kyler Murray shattered that nonsense.
Masiah Wells,2022 LB , Riverside , 6’2, 230lbs, 0 offers
He plays defensive end for Riverside, but he’s more suited for linebacker in my opinion. That’s where he’ll play at the next level because he’s not quite tall enough for an end but he’s perfect height and fast enough to stand up. Sometimes that’s not seen on film due to the fact that he has his hands in the dirt most times, but college coaches will notice it and make Masiah a prime target in recruiting this fall.
Larry Edwards QB, 2022 SR 6’1, 190lbs – 0 offers
He can make every throw on the field. A big arm in a small frame allows him to maneuver and torque his body on throws to connect down field. He has the most beautiful deep ball of any high school quarterback in Northeast Florida. He’s been plagued by the unfortunate circumstance of being on bad teams. So you never get to see him play in big meaningful games. He passed for more yards than any quarterback in NE Florida last week (413yds) but his team lost. That’s the story of Larry Edwards High School career. By staying at First Coast, Edwards must hope that scouts will still have interest in coming to those games on the tightened collegiate schedules. I believe they will and I believe Edwards will be shipping off somewhere next spring after signing in February.
Trey Rose, TE, Fletcher 2022, 6’4, 210lbs, 0 offers
At 6’4, 210lbs, Trey Rose is a physical specimen. He can jump out the gym and is one of the most athletic players in the area. At Fletcher he is a jack of all trades, and should be a master at tight end. As some nice catches in his first game. I think he’s settled on the right position and its a matter of time before the offers come in for Rose.
Fred Highsmith, WR 6’4, 200lbs, 2022, 1 offer
He’s one of the most physically gifted receivers in NE Florida. You look at him and he just stands out. He’s a workout warrior, always on the field working on his craft and attempting to get better. That work ethic, mixed with size should grab the attention of several scouts this year. All Highsnith has to do is put the product on the field.
Alvin Gibson RB, 2022 , Riverside, 5’9 175lbs – 0 offers
He’s fast, elusive and finds the end zone, Al Gibson has scored in both the first regular season game and the kickoff classic consecutively. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and is a weapon for Riverside. That means he can be a weapon for a college program. Coaches should definitely look for “Lil Al”.
Merritt Reynolds, Safety, Fletcher, 6’2, 185lbs, 1 offer
Reynolds has an offer from the University of Chicago, but definitely should have more coming down the line. He’s big and quick, with great football I.Q. He knows where the ball is going before it gets there and even plays some offense when needed because of his great hands and speed. Definitely a big time college waiting for Reynolds at the next level.
Richard Garrett 6’4 Defensive End Class of ‘22 235lbs. –1 offer
Defensive end for Jackson that gets after it . Speed off the edge, power through opposing linemen, and motor to chase down scrambling quarterbacks. He just picked up his first offer right after the kickoff classic where he put some really good tape out there.
D’maurion Frazier DB 5’8″ 143lbs – 0 offers
A special athlete who excels on special teams, wide receiver and defensive back. Very instinctual football player. He went off versus Fleming Island in the first game of the season! He will definitely have coaches looking at him all season. He is the real deal and I predict mid-season fall offers for this young man.
WR Rickie Shaw, Jr., Riverside High – 2020|6’3 WR/DB| Class of 2022, 2 offers
Big-play threat for Tigers caught 44 passes for 725 yards, 12 TDs; also strong on the basketball court. He’s over at Riverside High now and look out as he is teaming up with Daniel Plummer III. They already hooked up in the kickoff classic and regular season for some big plays. Campbell and Georgetown have extended Shaw offers. He deserves more attention after this season.
WR Andrew Tabor, Jr., Bishop Kenny 5’9″ 185lbs , 2022, 0 offers
Watch out when Andrew Tabor has the ball in his hands, just ask Bolles. He’s been the “Bolles killer” the last few years as Bishop Kenny has made the annual rivalry with the private schools memorable and Tabor is a key factor in that. He’s undersized physically, but his oversized heart makes up for that. No, he’s not Rudy from the movie, he’s got serious next level talent, and deserves looks and offers from college programs.
David Hamilton III 6’3 WR 200lbs – He’s the most physically imposing WRs Parker has seen in years. If they can get him the ball downfield and in space he will open up a parker offense to heights they’ve not experienced yet. It’s important for him to put up numbers this year for college coaches to see what he can do on the field and not just in the camps. Ava Maria, Savannah State, and FIU have all offered Hamilton. If he is able to put up numbers there is no reason other D1 programs don’t send him letters.
Van Adams, JR First Coast, 6’0, 160lbs – 0 offers
Adams put up good decent numbers in an offense that didn’t naturally feature all his skill sets thoroughly. He’s football family though, and still a threat from all over the field, and college coaches know it. He had a great game in week 1 scoring two touchdowns and having over 100 yards in receiving. He deserves offers from the next level!
Devin Hopkins, 2022 WR 6’1, 180 , 0 offers
Another reason Larry Edwards and Van Adams Jr are so good, is because of this guy, Devin Hopkins. He opens up so much with his ability to go deep and get open intermediately. He’s a super talented play making receiver that deserves offers from collegiate programs.
Khalil Ward WR, Sandalwood, 6’1, 175lbs – 0 offers
He has the size, the length, the speed and the football acumen. Coaches love his attitude and he’s a playmaker on both sides of the ball. If he has a big year at the position, college coaches should definitely come knocking on his door.
Runye Norton – Sandalwood – 5’11, 175lbs , 2022 , 1 offers
He’s the new shiny target for Chris Calhoun and his QB is loving him. Smooth route runner and will exploit matchups on defense. Great pick up for Sandalwood! He has an offer from Webber University and will most certainly have more if he cant put together a strong senior campaign.
Xander Ross WR -5’8″ 168lbs Class of: 2022 , 0 offers
A great first step, explosive when the ball in in his hands. And can take it to the house very quickly. Big play material, something Trinity’s offense lacked consistently last year. Ross makes the difference.
Freddie Manning- 5’10 165 ‘22 WR- 1 offers
He’s the difference maker at Riverside. He came over from Ribault ready for a new role and he quickly didn’t disappoint. He hit big plays in the passing game and will be a big contributor on offense with the new addition of Plummer. He’s going to make plays for this team that will get them to the next level in their playoff quest no matter who is under center. They’ve got their home run hitter. He currently has an offer from savannah state, but deserves d1 offers from schools like Georgia state, Troy, ECU or bigger. They’ve shown interest, and hopefully a great season at Lee will entice them to call.
Ja’quon King , WR Raines HS – 0 offers
Dynamic slot receiver that’s going to make lots of plays in space. Track athlete and state champ that’s very confident in slot. I like him as a #1 receiver too but unfortunately he plays on a team with two other potential #1 receivers. Raines has shown unique ways of getting the ball in his hands and that’s what it’s going to take to showcase his talents for colleges to see. He has the talent to play at the next level.
WR Rashaud Clark, Jr., Englewood– | c/o ‘22, 5’8ht ,135lbs, 0 offers
Englewood’s RaShaud Clark for being selected to the All Gateway Conference team!! He lead the state in Kickoff Return yards, was top 5 in the area in receiving, and had over 1200 all purpose yards. College coaches should be aware that he runs a 4.39 -40 yard dash. That’s next level speed that deserves an offer!
6’0, 210lbs RB Arthur “Fatz” Walker – Atlantic Coast -One of the most underrated running backs in the area, Fatz is ready to break out for a big senior year. He’s motivated and knows he’s been overlooked. Some good college programs are eying him, and unfortunately Covid has hampered lots recruiting for cutting edge talent like Walker. Never the less, he will showcase everything on the field this fall and be one of the best statistical backs hands down.
Jamarion Baker, 6’1” 205 lb | Sr. Rb | c/o 22 | Baker county, 1 offer
A big and fast athlete that plays both sides of the ball, Baker leads a Baker County Rushing attack that is one of the tops in the area. He’s physical running style is complimented by his ability to turn the corner on edges and out race defenders to the endzone. On defense he plays physical and looks like a very good, WLB, a position in high demand right now in college. He deserves more than 1 offer from Gannon University, which is what he currently has.
Tommy Bridgewater Jr, OL, First Coast, 6’2” 285lbs
Turn on the tape and you’ll see Bridgewater go to work from his guard position. attacks defenders and doesn’t catch and grab resulting in holding calls. He moves people which allows running backs to run behind him at times in the middle. He’s got the perfect size for an interior lineman at the next level.
Gabe McLamb, University Christian, 6’3 283 | DL/RG , 2 offers
Gannon and the University of New Hampshire have both offered McLamb. They are smart programs. This absolute bruiser is the leader of the UC offensive line, one of the best running teams in the state of Florida. McLamb plays several different positions on the line which makes him extremely smart and versatile for any college program. He deserves more offers, and from the way this season is looking for US, he’ll get them.
Marquise Lundy , Sandalwood , 2022 DB – 1 offer
A instinctive, intelligent defensive back that is a technician on the field. He comes over from Baldwin to help a Sandalwood secondary that lost Jadon Canady, Amari Mitchell, and Robert Simmons. Kentucky Westlyan College came calling after seeing his first week performance. More to come for sure for Lundy.
Tyrek Williams, 6’1, 165lbs WR, Terry Parker, 0 offers
Williams is 6’2 with height and hands and great attribute set for a wide receiver. He can make catches intermediately or down the field. He’s looking to have a breakout senior year, and if he does, he’ll get more looks and opportunities. He’s a college caliber player.
Cale Zarah, Riverside, ATH, 5’9, 165lbs, 1 offer
This athlete is by far one of the most gifted and talented in our area. If you turn on the film, there is no question he is one of the best players on the field. He’s played quarterback for Riverside the last couple of years and he has an offer from Warner. In my opinion, Cale is best projected to college as a slot or running back. He’s the prototypical size for both positions. If he played that position he’d have more offers with his immense talent. Size is a major factor with college coaches and they are working out bigger quarterbacks. They project based on how big you are now and how big you will be in 3 years in their program. With college recruiting, someone has to be close enough to you in order to be able to tell you the truth. Then as the athlete, you have to be able to face the truth and evolve. If Cale evolves, we’ll be hearing his name on Saturday mornings. He’s just that good.
