Many of the nation's top players, including Dwyer's Nick O'Leary and Dillard's Wayne Lyons, continue the tradition as some of the most sought-after recruits in the Class of 2011.
As National Signing Day approaches, football recruits from around the country are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. College recruiters and coaches from all over are making it a priority to visit, speak with and host some of nation's top talent as they prepare for the next chapter within their respective programs. While on their visits, history has shown that the state of Florida has always been a stone that could not go uncovered when recruiting players.
With its ongoing success of producing top-notch talent, the state's southeast region, which is made up of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, has always been the main attraction when visiting the sunshine state.
"South Florida is truly the No. 1 destination in this state," said Corey Long of ESPN, who spoke to scouting guru Larry Bluestein of the Miami Herald. "While other areas of Florida are loaded with talent, Miami-Dade and Broward are where every growing program wants to be."
Long isn't far from the truth. Just ask Auburn kicker Wes Byrum, a St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) alum, who converted on two extra points and two field goals, including the game-winning 19-yarder, to lead the Tigers to their first national title since 1957 in a 22-19 win over Oregon on Jan. 10.
Rising stars such as Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) standout Nick O'Leary, arguably the nation's top tight end, and Dillard (Fort Lauderdale) safety Wayne Lyons continue to keep south Florida's tradition alive. For much of the season, O'Leary (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) held offers from more than 15 Division I programs, before verbally committing to Florida State this past weekend, while Lyons (6-1, 190), a Stanford commit and one of the nation's top safeties, was named the Felix "Doc" Blanchard Award recipient at the 2010 U.S. Army All-American game.
The award is given to two players who, according to the press release, "epitomize the Army's high standard of excellence in community service, education and athletic distinction."
Many student-athletes didn't wait until Feb. 2 to let the country know where they are taking their talents. Below is a look at some of the region's top prospects and the schools they have committed to, in alphabetical order, thus far:
AUBURN TIGERS Robenson Therezie, DB, 5-10, 205, Miami Jackson
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES Curt Evans, WR, 5-11, 170, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
BOWLING GREEN FALCONS Travis Greene, WR, 5-11, 165, Miami Monsignor Pace
Darrell Hunter, DB, 5-10, 170, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
Johnny Joseph, DB, 5-8, 170, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
Anthon Samuel, RB, 5-11, 171, Miami Monsignor Pace
BUFFALO BULLS Reggie McKnight, WR, 6-0, 170, Hollywood Hills
CENTRAL FLORIDA KNIGHTS Miles Pace, LB, 6-1, 230, Miami Central
Cedric Thompson, RB, 6-0, 200, Miramar Everglades
CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS Andrew Flory, WR, 5-11, 165, Plantation American Heritage
Denzel Wimberly, RB, 5-10, 190, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
CINCINNATI BEARCATS Dwight Jackson, DE/OLB, 6-1, 215, Miami Central
Carroll Phillips, LB, 6-1, 195, Miami Central
DARTMOUTH BIG GREEN Cameron Crage, QB, 6-0, 200, Boca Raton St. Andrew's
DUKE BLUE DEVILS Timothy Burton, DB, 5-10, 170, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERSJ'rod Beard, WR, 5-9, 170, Delray Beach Atlantic
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY OWLS William Dukes, WR, 6-3, 175, Fort Lauderdale Dillard
D'joun Frye, DB, 5-11, 185, Hialeah American
Joe Henry, DT, 6-5, 250, Miramar Everglades
Conard Johnson, LB, 5-11, 205, Pompano Beach Ely
Derek Moise, WR, 6-2, 175, Miami Booker T. Washington
Robby Nasiff, OL, 6-4, 290, Delray American Heritage
Damian Parms, S, 6-2, 185, Miami Monsignor Pace
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY GOLDEN PANTHERS Lyndon Edwards, LB, 6-1, 190, Miami Northwestern
Dominique Rhymes, WR, 6-3, 205, Miami Northwestern
Clinton Taylor, WR, 5-8, 165, Miami Northwestern
Ezekial Turner, WR, 5-10, 170, Delray Atlantic
FLORIDA GATORSJabari Gorman, DB, 5-11, 175, Miami Monsignor Pace
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES Ruben Carter, DT, 6-3, 260, Miami Jackson
Devonta Freeman, RB, 5-9.5, 190, Miami Central
Rashad Greene, WR, 6-0, 170, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
Bobby Hart, OL, 6-5, 295, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
Nile Lawrence-stample, DT, 6-1, 295, Davie Nova
Nick O'Leary, TE, 6-4, 230, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS Nick Menocal, LB, 6-3, 225, Miami Belen Jesuit
HARVARD CRIMSON Kevie Defranc, DB, 5-10, 160, Delray Atlantic
Daniel Melow, WR/DB, 6-0, 180, Miami Gulliver Prep
Seitu Smith, DB/WR, 5-10, 180, Deerfield Beach
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI Justin DuVernois, P, 5-10, 180, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
Nick North, DB, 6-1, 185, Hollywood McArthur
Eaton Spence, DB, 5-10, 170, Belle Glade Glades Day
J.T. Thornton, DB, 6-0, 170, Belle Glade Glades Day
IOWA HAWKEYES Jacob Rudock, QB, 6-3, 180, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS Teddy Bridgewater, QB, 6-3, 190, Miami Northwestern
Charles Gaines Jr., WR, 5-11, 170, Miami Central
Gerrod Holliman, S, 6-0, 185, Miami Southridge
Andrew Johnson, DB, 5-9, 180, Miami Southridge
John Miller, OL, 6-3, 295, Miami Central
Jermaine Reve, S, 6-0, 175, Miami Northwestern
Eli Rogers, WR, 5-10, 185, Miami Northwestern
MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD Keith Baxter, S, 5-11, 180, Homestead
Rakeem Cato, QB, 6-0, 175, Miami Central
Luther Maddy, DL, 6-2, 270, Delray Atlantic
Thomas Shuler, WR, 5-9, 175, Miami Central
Deontae West, DB, 5-10, 170, Hialeah
Corie Wilson, DB, 5-10, 170, Miami Edison
MARYLAND TERRAPINS Undray Clark, S, 5-11, 175, Miami Felix Varela
MIAMI HURRICANES Phillip Dorsett, WR, 5-9, 175, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Finnie, DB, 5-10, 165, Miami Central
Kevin Grooms, RB/DB, 5-9, 170, Hollywood South Broward
Denzel Perryman, 5-11, 220, Coral Gables
Ricardo Williams, DE, 6-5, 210, Homestead
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Juwan Caesar, WR, 6-4, 190, Miami Coral Park
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS Drayquan Crawford, S, 6-1, 205, South Miami (Arizona Western CC)
Jephete Matilus, LB, 6-0, 219, Delray Beach Atlantic
Steven Montgomery, DB, 5-10, 180, Miramar
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS Johnathan Harris, DE, 6-6, 220, Boynton Beach
NAVAL ACADEMY MIDSHIPMEN Isaiah McElrath, DT, 6-2, 275, Pace
Rafi Montalvo, QB, 6-0, 195, Miami LaSalle
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES Tommylee Lewis, WR, 5-8, 160, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH Anthony Rabasa, DE, 6-3, 215, Miami Christopher Columbus
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES Jeremy Cash, S, 6-1, 195, Plantation
Ryan Shazier, LB, 6-2, 210, Plantation
OREGON DUCKS Jerrard Randall, QB, 6-1, 195, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
Tacoi Sumler, WR, 5-8, 165, Miami Christopher Columbus
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS Johnathan Aiken, DB, 5-11, 185, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS Will Sport, OL, 6-6, 275, Pace
SOUTH FLORIDA BULLSClavion Nelson, DE, 6-4, 230, Hollywood South Broward
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TROJANS Kent Turene, LB, 6-3, 225, Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson
STANFORD CARDINALWayne Lyons, S, 6-1, 190, Fort Lauderdale Dillard
SYRACUSE ORANGE Durell Eskridge, WR, 6-2, 190, Miami Central
Oliver Vigille, LB, 6-1, 200, Miami Central
TEMPLE OWLS Cedric Walker, Athlete, 5-9, 175, Miami Gulliver Prep
TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS Imonni Carswell, QB, 6-1, 185, Plantation
Dinsdale Jackson, DT, 6-3, 277, Plantation American Heritage
TEXAS A&M AGGIES Shaun Ward, DE, 6-2, 225, Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS Justin Cooper, LB, 6-1, 205, Davie University School
Marcus Roberson, DB, 6-1, 175, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
TOLEDO ROCKETS Vlad Emilien, S, 6-0, 200, Plantation (Michigan transfer)
Junior Sylvestre, S, 6-1, 190, Hollywood South Broward
VANDERBILT COMMODORES Courtney Bynes, WR, 5-10, 160, Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson
VILLANOVA WILDCATS Pat Williams, DT, 6-1, 275, Davie University School
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS Mauro Bondi, PK, 6-1, 190, West Boca Raton
Deandre Martin, RB, 6-3, 195, Hialeah Miami Lakes
Godspower Offor, DE, 6-3, 220, Hialeah American
Allen Ramsey, DB, 6-0, 175, Fort Lauderdale Dillard
Orville Reynolds, RB, 5-7, 180, Parkland Douglas
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS Russell Haughton-James, OL, 6-5, 285, Plantation American Heritage
WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPERS Jerome Howard, LB, 6-0, 200, Plantation
Curtis Williams, OL, 6-4, 330, Hialeah Champagnat
WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS Travis Turner, OL, 6-4, 264, North Miami Beach
WISCONSIN BADGERS Devin Gauldin, DB, 5-10, 177, Davie University
