Notes on 23 top South Florida football recruits to know for 2018

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MIAMI, Fla. — The South Florida stop on Nike’s The Opening Camp tour was Sunday, and many of the Sunshine State’s best were in attendance. SB Nation spoke with more than 20 prospects.

The day started off on a sour note when Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage cornerback Pat Surtain Jr., a five-star prospect, showed up on crutches. Surtain injured is hamstring in a track meet earlier in the week, and will miss six to eight weeks, but hopes to be back for spring football.

Surtain still has LSU on top, followed closely by Florida State. He said he doesn’t see himself signing with anyone else. He will visit LSU on March 25, and will also visit FSU. Clemson, Ohio State, and a few others are still pursuing. I like LSU’s chances.

The top defensive back I saw was Josh Jobe, of Miami Columbus High School.

The Miami commit is every bit of 6’1 and 190 pounds. Jobe may have the athleticism to stick at cornerback, as he displayed quick feet for his size to cut off and mirror receivers. And he is much more physically advanced than his peers. On that note, several Miami media members I spoke with expect Jobe to attend Chesterfield Academy, a prep school in Connecticut, as players in Florida cannot play high school if they turn 19 before September. Jobe will miss that cutoff by a half-year. That’s not a bad thing — former South Florida stars like Calvin Ridley and Kelvin Benjamin also aged out as seniors. Jobe declined all interviews Sunday and earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

The most talkative prospect was, as usual, Al Blades Jr. The corner out of Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas School had some good reps at cornerback, and also had some good work at safety during seven-on-seven, which is intriguing. Blades is the son of the late Miami standout of the same name, the nephew of NFL Canes Brian and Bennie, and the cousin of former Pitt LB H.B. Blades. Blades is not committed to Miami, but he talks as if he is.

I asked Blades if he has a leader, and he said no. But if he had to make a top five, the only school he knows would make it is Miami. He said Ohio State and FSU“might” make it. Blades earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Many elite schools are size snobs when it comes to the cornerback position. So when a smaller prospect garners the big offers, it’s likely he can really play. That is the case with Asante Samuel Jr., of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas. At 5’9.5, Samuel does not have length, but what he does have are great feet, acceleration, technique, and instincts. Alabama, FSU, Miami, Michigan, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma and about 30 others have offered, and FSU is out in front.

Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage DB Tyson Campbell was also quite impressive. At 6’2 and 180 pounds, the four-star prospect, who does not turn 17 for another month, might not be done growing. Listed as a corner, his future may be at safety, and he is very athletic. Campbell has no leader, but Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State have all offered. Look for his recruitment to blow up. Campbell earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

LSU commitment Nadab Joseph, of Miami Edison, also had a good day, garnering the top Nike Ratings (previously known as SPARQ) score. The four-star said schools are recruiting him at corner — which he said he prefers, since “corners get paid” — but the 6’2 prospect is also open to playing safety. He earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Joseph was having some fun with the media Sunday, claiming he was “82 percent” committed to the Tigers. Yes, 82 percent. Joseph added that he now has Georgia over Florida State for second place, but he wasn’t sure what percentages to assign to the Bulldogs and Seminoles. Ultimately, he settled on 11 percent for Georgia and 7 for FSU, with a chuckle. Joseph plans to enroll early.

Do others have a shot at Dalvin Cook’s little brother?

Miami Central High School five-star running back James Cook, the little brother of Dalvin, was clearly tired of interviews by the time I spoke with him. He said that he is “80 percent” committed to Florida State, and that Miami is pursuing him the hardest. Florida, Georgia, and USC (where cousin Jamel Cook plays safety) are also pursuing. Cook was invited to the Opening Finals, an elite camp taking place later this summer. He said that he is benching 275 pounds and thinks he could hit 300 for a one-rep max. Cook earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Miami commitment Camron Davis, of Miami Carol City High School, also earned an invite to The Opening Finals, one of three Hurricanes stars to do so. Davis is well-built.

South Florida always shows out with top receivers.

The most impressive on the day was Dominick Watt, of Hollywood (Fla.) McArthur. A size (legitimately over 6 feet) and speed prospect, Watt also set up defensive backs well. Watt is rated three stars as of this writing, the No. 65 receiver in the country on the 247Sports Composite. Recruiting rankings are accurate at the end of the cycle, but 11 months before Signing Day, they are incomplete. Watt’s top offer at this point is Florida, and I look for his recruitment to continue to blow up.

Kevin Austin Jr. of North Broward Prep, is a rising prospect. He has excellent size at 6’2 and 200 pounds, having put on more muscle since I last saw him eight months ago. Austin has decent speed, but excellent hands, strength, and feel for running routes. The Michigan State legacy has recently added offers from UCLA, Oregon, Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Austin earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Shocky Jacques-Louis, of Ft. Myers (Fla.) Dunbar, showed smooth speed and set up opposing defensive backs well. He also caught balls underneath in traffic. His top schools include Kentucky, South Carolina, and UCF. Jacques-Louis also plays basketball and baseball.

Xavier Williams, of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna, earned an invite to The Opening Finals. The Alabama commitment will be one to watch as he continues to learn the position.

Anthony Schwartz earned an invite to The Opening Finals. The three-star from American Heritage is perhaps better known for his track skills, and he was the fastest man in attendance on Sunday. He showed some intriguing skills at receiver. I did not speak with Schwartz, but media I spoke with believe Florida is in a good position with him.

With the emergence of the spread offense, it is becoming tougher to find true in-line tight ends, or “Ys,” as opposed to “H” types.

But Naples (Fla.) Gulf Coast High’s George Takacs is a throwback. The 6’7, 236-pounder has room to continue to add size, and posted a Nike Rating of over 100, which is excellent. He spoke with SB Nation and named a top-three for Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin, in no order. Takacs earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

Two offensive linemen to know.

Curtis Dunlap, of IMG Academy, earned an invite to The Opening Finals. Dunlap has recently moved to center, and perhaps even more encouragingly, has continued to drop bad weight. He is down more than 30 pounds, and should only unlock more quickness as he reshapes his body. The in-state programs, as well as several out-of-state schools, are after Dunlap.

Miami commitment Delone Scaife, of Miami Southridge High School, had a good day. The three-star worked at tackle, though he projects as a guard at the next level. Scaife earned an invite to The Opening Finals.

While the interior rushers were lacking in Miami, there were plenty of pass rushers on the outside.

Andrew Chatfield, of American Heritage, earned an invite to The Opening Finals. On the day he showed good explosiveness, motor, and moves. Chatfield is not all that muscular yet, but has the frame to put more on his 6’3, 210-pound profile. LSU is trending for Chatfield, though his recruitment is just beginning.

Miami Edison’s Kayode Oladele, a Florida State commitment, has improved a lot. I first saw him in the summer of 2016, and the Nigerian import had never played football before. He was lost. But in just a year, Oladele has found a way to put his 6’4, 236-pound body to good use, improving his stance and hand use.

Patrick Joyner, out of Homestead (Fla.) South Dade, also showed great burst off the edge. Florida State has recently offered the three-star as an outside linebacker.

Several younger guys stood out.

Kaiir Elam, of North Palm Beach (Fla.) Benjamin School, is a 2019 corner to watch. He has good length and speed. Elam is the son of former NFL safety Abe Elam.

Leonard Manuel, a receiver out of Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard, is someone who exploded onto my radar. At 6’4 and 200 pounds, the class of 2020 prospectmay well grow into a tight end, but he looks like a shoe-in for FBS. He already has offers from North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Miami.

Quickly

Here is an excellent review of Sunday’s camp from a Miami perspective.

Houston receiver Brennan Eagles released a top 10, consisting of Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, UCLA, and USC. I do not see Eagles leaving the state. The video, below, shows Eagles awesome size and speed combination.