Team Evaluations Using Top Senior and Junior Top-Rated Players Lists

[MarkECannon]

I did this last year and posted a 2025 version on FlaVarsity before it was wiped off the face of the internet.  I have studied some of the lists of the top senior and junior Florida high school football players for the upcoming 2026 season using 247, On3, USA TODAY, etc.  These lists are fluid and can change on a daily basis.  Players are added.  Player evaluations rise and fall.  Players may transfer.  This is in no way an exact science.  I am going to mention things you may find interesting.  These will just be my observations.  I will say the state is loaded with good WR's this year.  It may sound funny but there are a lot of 5'10'-11" quality football players in this state.

*Per usual, there will be a good share of transfers after the spring and throughout the summer.

*Junior evaluations are very incomplete at this point, but I included them anyway.

*I am not going to evaluate IMG.  Last year they had 16 top seniors.  This year they only have 11.  They also have 11 juniors on that list so no need to cry for them.

*South Florida once again dominates the top player ratings.  I currently live in Boca Raton, but I do not hold any bias for the area.  I am a 1980 Sarasota High graduate.  We had many good teams and players back then.  Recently, not so much.  Well, decades really.

* I failed to mention I make mistakes in this list.  I just found a pretty big mistake and corrected it.

* I am not listing every team.  No doubt there are teams I didn't list that should be on here.  If you would like me to address a team not listed feel free to ask.  Hopefully you enjoy this thread.  If not, that's okay. I get a kick out of doing it. **  

*** TEAMS WITH THE TOP ROSTERS ***

ST THOMAS AQUINAS - The Raiders' top talent was mostly juniors last year so guess what?  That's right!  STA should be even better this year.  12 seniors and 1 junior made the lists.  STA has 3 highly rated wide receivers that will have a new starting QB, James Perrone, a transfer from Southridge and a USF commit, delivering the rock to them.  If there might be a weakness (probably not) it would be the OL but the #1 player and OT in the state, Mark Matthews, will be a monster.  The defense up front might have to prove themselves but the DB's should be stellar.

MIAMI CAROL CITY - Former Chaminade-Madonna OC, Toro Wallace, is the new Pied Piper of Dade County football.  Transfers to play for this season's Chiefs squad have been abundant.  7 seniors and 3 juniors made the lists.  Former Miami Northwestern Bull, Nick Lennear, considered the state's top receiver is among them.  Carol City should be one of the most improved teams in South Florida.

MCARTHUR (Hollywood) - The Mustangs had a very respectable season last year.  It appears McArthur is trending upward with 8 seniors and 1 junior making the lists.  The defense should be the strength of the team with 7 of those seniors on that side of the ball.  Two Miami Hurricane commits, S Jaylen Jones and CB Sherrod Gourdine, provide some real star power.  Last year Vero Beach was my team to watch out for.  This year it is McArthur.

CHAMINADE-MADONNA - You could argue that the Lions talent level has dropped this year but that doesn't mean that they won't challenge for another state title.  4 seniors and 6 juniors made the lists.  Junior QB transfer, Brady Quinn from Lely High in Naples, should be the key to watch how far the Nade Boyz will go.   

***TEAMS THAT MAY SEE A SOME DROP OFF FROM LAST YEAR ***

CARDINAL MOONEY - The Cougars were a very impressive complete team last year.  This year looks like it could be a rebuilding year.  Only 2 seniors and 1 junior made the lists.  6'6" Gator commit QB Davin Davidson will lead Mooney's offense.  He should be a fun player to follow.  

FIRST ACADEMY - The Royals were loaded last year. They even spoke of playing an IMG-like schedule since they were not able to compete for a state title due to their suspension.  Only 4 seniors made the lists this year.  

VERO BEACH - It's painful to even post this after last year's last second disaster in the state finals.  The Indians have highly rated QB, Champ Monds, returning after he suffered an injury that pretty much derailed his season last year.  2 seniors and 1 junior made the lists.    

THE BOLLES SCHOOL - The Bulldogs do not have one senior on the list.  They do have 3 juniors.  RB Xander Edwards and EDGE Asher Ghioto are the ones to watch.

***TEAMS THAT MIGHT HAVE A BIG DROP-OFF***

TAMPA BAY TECH - Even though last year's Titans team wasn't one of their best, Tampa Bay Tech has been one of the area's most talented programs for years.  It must be noted that only one junior made the lists.

EDGEWATER - The Eagles always seem to field highly competitive teams, but they list only one senior.

RAINES - The Vikings made it to the promised land last year but they only list one senior and one junior this year.

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN - Larry Blustein wasn't far off when he said the Bulls roster last year may have been equal to IMG's. It's official, the great resurgent effect of Teddy Bridgewater's tenure has left the building.  Only 1 junior made the lists.  This is easily the biggest roster drop-off from last year.

SARASOTA BOOKER - The Tornadoes only list 1 senior.  Last year they had 4 highly rated players. 

WEST BROWARD - The Bobcats were a Cinderella team until they crashed out in the state final against West Boca.  The #1 Rated Junior in the country, A'mir Sears, transferred to Miami Columbus.  No West Broward player made the lists. 

LAKE MARY - Not sure what happened to them.  No one listed.  No Noah Grubbs to play with, I guess.

ST AUGUSTINE - Where did all the talent go?  I'm sure there are plenty of good Yellow Jackets players.  They are just not on any lists.

MIAMI SOUTHRIDGE - Last year's Spartans team looked like one of the most complete teams in the state.  It was a hard pill to swallow when West Broward upset them in the Regional Final.  Southridge has only 1 player listed.

***TEAMS THAT HAD A GOOD SEASON LAST YEAR AND COULD HAVE A SIMILAR ONE THIS YEAR***

AMERICAN HERITAGE PLANTATION - This team may not be as star studded but it's hard to believe they won't find a way to go deep into the playoffs.  Once again, the Patriots will have a former Miami Northwestern QB transfer running the show.  Junior Neimann Lawrence will be this year's QB.  4 seniors and 2 juniors made the lists.

ORLANDO JONES - The Tigers have 4 seniors, and 1 junior making the lists.  Replacing multiple year starter QB Dereon Coleman is the big question here.  Edge rusher Frederick Ards and DL DaJour Webb will lead the defense.

LAKELAND - The Dreadnaughts always have plenty to work with even when many of their players aren't highly rated.  3 seniors and 1 junior are listed.  DL Santana Harvey, son of Derrick Harvey, the former first round NFL pick anchors the defense.

MIAMI CENTRAL - The Rockets just couldn't get by the mighty Bulls last year.  Central lacked their usual star power. This year's team may not have any elite talent, but it has a multitude of very good talent.  6 seniors and 3 juniors made the lists.  The Rockets should boast the #1 secondary in the state.  7 of the 9 players that are listed are DB's.

MANDARIN - At times last year this team looked like it may get to Miami.  They have 3 seniors and 2 juniors listed.  Super talented junior WR Brysen Wright is worth the price of admission.

VENICE - This time last year Venice was in very similar shape, but they were able to obtain some very good prospects after the spring that worked out well for them. 1 senior and 1 junior listed.  Junior WR Tyree Mannings is a gamechanger.  

CARROLLWOOD DAY - The Patriots are holding their own in the battle for talent in the Tampa Bay area.  They have 3 seniors and 3 juniors listed.  

ARMWOOD - During last season some experts were touting Armwood as the best team in the state.  I knew they were good, but I doubted that claim.  They ended up fighting West Boca down to the last minute in the playoffs so I could not argue elsewise.  Much like last year they aren't listing a lot, but they have 3 seniors and 1 junior. 

ORLANDO EVANS -   After watching the Trojans Saturday I am putting Evans in this category.  Their talent level seems equal to last year’s team.  I mistakenly left their senior transfer QB William Jackson off my list.  Evans has 1 senior and 2 juniors listed.

[JDHoss]

Eggsellent breakdown. Looking forward to next week in PBG. 

[JDHoss]

Funny how quickly things can change. I remember watching Carol City get throttled by Lincoln at Vero last year in the kickoff classics games. I think after the jamboree in PBG on Thursday, we might go up to watch Fort Pierce Westwood at Melbourne on Friday instead of going back to PBG. The following week, I think we'll hit John Carroll @ South Fork on Wednesday. 

[MarkECannon]

I got the impression that Carol City was defeated by the sun along with Lincoln that day.  Carol City coaches seemed to understand this and just wanted the game to end as quickly as possible.

I’m going to Kissimmee Wednesday for the South Lake, Viera at St Cloud.

Thursday, The Battle in the Swamp at Palm Beach Lakes.

Friday and Saturday in Lakeland for The Battle at the Bryant.

[i4football]

You might want to go back and re-evaluate that Booker squad. Booker isnt the best coached team but the team is loaded with talent and has a QB transfer that QB'd his former team to the regional finals last season....

[MarkECannon]

5 hours ago, i4football said:

You might want to go back and re-evaluate that Booker squad. Booker isnt the best coached team but the team is loaded with talent and has a QB transfer that QB'd his former team to the regional finals last season....

I heard about the QB transfer but can’t remember the details.  What is the QB’s name and where did he play last year?  
 

Believe it or not I don’t have a lot of intel on Booker right now.   Usually I’m real dialed into that program for obviously reasons.  I’ll have to make some phone calls.

[MarkECannon]

On 5/9/2026 at 12:46 PM, i4football said:

You might want to go back and re-evaluate that Booker squad. Booker isnt the best coached team but the team is loaded with talent and has a QB transfer that QB'd his former team to the regional finals last season....

i4football,

Did you see or anyone else see how Booker looked in their jamboree?  I’m ready to change my outlook on them due to your opinion and their performance last night.  I have a feeling they are young this year but, of course, transfers in can change that.

[i4football]

While head coach Carlos Woods and the Tornadoes graduated a massive, star-studded class to the Power 4/D-1 ranks, they are reloading for the 2026 fall season with an incredibly challenging schedule (including a trip to D.C. to play St. John's College).

Here is the definitive breakdown of the major quarterback transfer and the high-level D-1 talent anchoring Sarasota Booker heading into the fall:

The Major Transfer Impact

* QB Mason Summer (Class of 2027): With Joel Morris graduating and moving on to Bethune-Cookman, Booker found their answer under center by pulling in a massive transfer from Bradenton Manatee. While his stat line last fall sat at nearly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, those numbers are deceptive as he missed a significant portion of the mid-season due to an injury.

Furthermore, while the Hurricanes ultimately fell short in the regional finals, the loss had absolutely nothing to do with his performance. In fact, Summer showed elite poise under pressure, engineering a clutch, 60+ yard drive in the final minutes to put Manatee in point-blank position to clinch the victory, only for a missed last-second field goal to end the run. Coach Woods has already praised his physical and mental toughness (attributing some of it to his background as a lacrosse player) and noted that his moxie and ability to find windows have allowed him to blend in seamlessly with the offense this spring.

Current High-Level D-1 Talent

• DL Maleek Lee (Class of 2027): If you want to know who college scouts are flocking to see at Booker practices right now, it’s Lee. He is a legitimate 4-star prospect who has established himself as the absolute alpha and defensive leader of this team. He’s already commanding heavy recruitment interest from elite national programs like Florida and Ohio State.

• ATH Jordan Booker (Class of 2027): A highly athletic, versatile piece in the secondary and weapon on the field. He’s a crucial returning element to their core puzzle and holds division-one offers and deep interest from programs like Wake Forest, Appalachian State, and Georgia State.

• LB Kymani Sellers (Class of 2027): Alongside Maleek Lee up front, Sellers is expected to be a massive cog in the Tornadoes' defensive box. He has great closing speed and is poised for a major breakout season now that the older class has moved on.

The Outlook

The consensus around the state right now is that Booker is technically "young" on paper compared to last year's veteran squad, which is why some early preview lists only noted a single senior star. However, the program has developed excellent rotational depth, and between the addition of Summer at QB and the elite star power of Maleek Lee anchoring the trenches, they have more than enough explosive D-1 talent to surprise people who think they are in a complete rebuilding phase.

[MarkECannon]

 

i4football,

Great write up.  Is that from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune?  I spoke to my stepson Friday to ask around who could give us a good breakdown but haven’t heard back from him. Booker and Mooney continue to be the sexy schools to play for in Sarasota. Wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan Booker is related to Andre Booker (may be his son).  I appreciate your response.

Do you know how their spring jamboree went?  I considered traveling to Sarasota to attend it. I have free places to stay there :).

[i4football]

55 minutes ago, MarkECannon said:

 

i4football,

Great write up.  Is that from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune?  I spoke to my stepson Friday to ask around who could give us a good breakdown but haven’t heard back from him. Booker and Mooney continue to be the sexy schools to play for in Sarasota. Wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan Booker is related to Andre Booker (may be his son).  I appreciate your response.

Do you know how their spring jamboree went?  I considered traveling to Sarasota to attend it. I have free places to stay there :).

I wrote it, they lost I believe to Miami Palmetto 14-7

[MarkECannon]

1 hour ago, i4football said:

I wrote it, they lost I believe to Miami Palmetto 14-7

I figured you did.