High school football: Top 50 Florida players from the Class of 2022

Ahead of the 2021 high school football season, MaxPreps is breaking down the top senior prospects in the country state-by-state as rated by 247Sports. We continue the series with Florida, which opens scrimmages on Aug. 20 and games Aug. 27.

Three defensive linemen are at the top of the always impressive list of Florida recruits, led by Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, of Lakland, who is the nation's No. 7 recruit overall but has yet to decide on his college plans. Same goes for the state's next top two prospects, Shemar Stewart, of Monsignor Pace (Opa Locka) or Marvin Jones Jr., of American Heritage (Plantation).

As expected, defending MaxPreps national champion IMG Academy (Bradenton) dominated the Top 50 list with 11 selections led by No. 4 prospect Daylen Everette, a cornerback headed to Clemson. IMG Academy, which houses top recruits from throughout the country, boasted five recruits between No. 4 to No. 10 and had nine selections in the top 25.

247SPORTS: Complete Florida player rankings

By position, defense dominated the elite selections with 34 of the 50, highlighted by 17 backs and 13 lineman. Four linemen led the offensive side of the ball, which included just one quarterback.

As of Aug. 5, 31 of the top 50 had committed to colleges with the University of Florida landing the most athletes at five, followed by Penn State (four), Florida State and Clemson (three each) and Alabama, Northwestern and UCF (two each). Florida's Top 50 football players from Class of 2022

1. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy | Lakeland
6-3 | 280 | DL | Undecided college commitment
Boasts 79 career tackles, 47.5 for loss including 18.5 sacks. Mixed martial arts and track and field background has helped with his strength, agility and toughness. He has 23 offers, but at top of his list is Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Clemson and Florida.

2. Shemar Stewart | Monsignor Pace (Miami)
6-5 | 260 | DL | Undecided
Right behind Brownlow-Dindy, Stewart is No. 8 national recruit and fourth best defensive lineman. Missed most of junior year with knee injury after recording 15 sacks as a sophomore.

3. Marvin Jones Jr. | American Heritage (Plantation)
6-4.5 | 245 | DL | Undecided
The No. 37 national prospect ranks seventh as DL after recording 55 tackles and 13 sacks as a junior. The son of former Florida State All-American LB and 10-year NFL vet. Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Oklahoma are top choices among his 31 offers.

4. Daylen Everette | IMG Academy (Bradenton)
6-1 | 185 | CB | Clemson
Reportedly has broke 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and had 11 interceptions as a sophomore. Ranked the No. 8 CB in the country.

5. Kamari Wilson | IMG Academy
6-1 | 195 | S | Undecided
MaxPreps Junior All-American second team also is a basketball standout. Has 33 offers but took official visits to LSU and Texas A&M, and unofficial ones to Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Miami, Alabama and Auburn.

6. Jihaad Campbell | IMG Academy
6-3 | 215 | DE | Clemson
Played three seasons at Erial (NJ) before transferring to IMG. Played both receiver and defensive end. Had 45 tackles and seven sacks in the shortened 2020 season.

7. Tyler Booker | IMG Academy
6-5 | 325 | OT | Alabama
Rated the No. 38 senior recruit overall and No. 5 tackle, Booker is considered the voice and leader of the nation's No. 1 team.

8. Jaheim Singletary | Lee (Jacksonville)
6-1 | 175 | CB | Undecided
Already compared to Jalen Ramsey, Singletary is an imposing defender with a 74-inch wingspan. He has 10 career interceptions, 74 tackles and 20 pass breakups.

9. Sam McCall | Lake Gibson (Lakeland)
6-0 | 180 | ATH | Florida State
A 5-star recruit and nation's No. 1 ranked athlete, McCall is a three-sport standout with impressive credentials as a basketball player and track and field athlete. Had 52 catches for 903 yards and 10 TDs in 2020 to go along with four interceptions.

10. Keon Sabb| IMG Academy
6-2 | 200 | S | Clemson
The third member of the IMG secondary among the top 10 seniors, Sabb is a native of New Jersey where he starred both as a WR and DB at Williamstown in 2020.

11. Earl Little jr. | American Heritage
6-0 | 175 | CB | Undecided
Another Top 100 national recruit, Little has piled up 39 college offers, but appears to be leaning toward either Alabama, Florida, Florida State or LSU.

12. Nyjalik Kelly | Dillard (Fort Lauderdale)
6-4 | 240 | DL | Undecided
Had 13 sacks in six games, earning Miami Herald's first-team All-Broward honors. Has taken official visits to Florida State, Miami, Oregon and LSU.

13. Jaleel Skinner | IMG Academy
6-5 | 210 | TE | Undecided
Already compared to Saints' TE Jared Cook, Skinner boasts a wingspan over 80 inches which helps him get to passes most can't. The nation's No. 1 rated TE has 24 offers but taken official visits to Florida State, Miami, Texas and Alabama.

14. Shemare James | Navarre
6-2 | 212 | LB | Florida
Also a basketball, track and field standout, James played running back and wide receiver on offense in 2020, scoring 12 TDs. Sprinter on the track team. Transferred from Faith Academy (Mobile, Ala.).

15. Azareyeh Thomas | Niceville
6-1 | 177 | ATH | Undecided
Reminds some of a young Trevon Diggs, Thomas had 35 catches for 695 yards and nine TDs in 2020, while recording 27 tackles on defense. Took official visits to LSU, Georgia Tech and Florida in June.

16. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. | Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood)
6-5 | 231 | DE | Undecided
The nation's No. 7 rated edge pass rusher led the Lions to an 8-2 record and state 3A title in 2020. Bloodlines galore lead to college and pro football. Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma appear the leaders among his 34 offers.

17. Wesley Bissanthe | Central (Miami)
6-1 | 200 | LB | Undecided
A MaxPreps Junior All-American led his team to 6A state title with 45 tackles, 21 for loss including seven sacks.

18. Dominick James | IMG Academy
6-2 | 278 | DL | Undecided
Had 30 tackles, 11 for loss for the No. 1 ranked team in the country for 2020. Has 24 offers with Ohio State, South Carolina and Texas A&M as possible designations.

19. Aj Duffy| IMG Academy
6-2 | 203 | QB | Florida State
The first QB on the board is ranked the No. 6 signal-caller in the country as a recruit. An Elite 11 finalist, Duffy transferred from Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.). As a sophomore, he completed 185 of 261 for 2,568 yards and 26 TYDs. He also rushed for 501 yards.

20. Kaytron Allen| IMG Academy
5-11 | 220 | RB | Penn State
The top rated RB in the state and No. 10 in the country, Allen is a native of Norfolk (Va.). Over the last two seasons, he's rushed for 1,612 yards and 25 TDs.

21. Cam Miller | Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville)
6-0 | 180 | CB | Penn State
A three-sport athlete transferred to Trinity Christian his senior year after leading Fernandina Beach to its first-ever playoff win. He accounted for more than 2,000 yards and scored 17 touchdowns as a QB.

22. Markeith Williams | Evans (Orlando)
6-1 | 170 | S | Undecided
Fast, rangy and smart, Williams intercepted 18 passes in his first three seasons of high school. Of his 20 offers, Nebraska, Ohio State and Miami are his top picks.

23. Terrance Gibbs | Winter Park
6-0 | 190 | RB | Florida
Missed his junior season due to a torn ACL. Combined for 2,595 yards on just 242 carries as a freshman and sophomore, along with 38 touchdowns.

24. Jacolby Spells | American Heritage
5-11 | 175 | CB | West Virginia
A burner, Spells has run 10.79 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Helped his team to a 5A state title, contributing mostly on defense after catching 25 passes and four touchdowns as a sophomore.

25. Jayden Gibson | West Orange (Winter Garden)
6-4 | 185 | WR | Undecided
Had 32 catches for 744 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, utilizing his superior size and physicality. Has 37 offers and taken official visits to Baylor and Miami.

Best of the rest
26. Travious Lathan | Gulliver Prep (Miami) | 6-2 | 202 | LB | Undecided
27. Drew Shelton | IMG Academy | 6-5 | 290 | OT | Penn State
28. Jamari Lyons | Viera| 6-4 | 295 | DL | Undecided
29. Julian Armella | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)| 6-6 | 300 | OT Undecided
30. DeMario Tolan | Dr. Phillips (Orlando) | 6-2 | 205 | LB | LSU
31. JaCorey Thomas | Boone (Orlando) | 6-1 | 188 | S | Georgia
32. Chris Graves | Bishop Verot (Fort Myers)| 6-1 | 175 | S | Miami
33. Tony Livingston | King (Tampa) | 6-4 | 260 | OT | Florida
34. Ja'Cari Henderson | Seminole (Sanford) | 6-0 | 160 | CB | Undecided
35. Trevell Mullen | Coconut Creek | 5-11 | 160 | CB | Indiana
36. Francios Nolton | Edison (Miami) | 6-4 | 225 | DL | Florida
37. Anthony Rose| Miami Central | 6-3 | 180 | S | South Carolina
38. Greg Gaines III| Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa) | 6-2 | 185 | WR | Iowa State
39. Austine Firestone | Niceville | 6-5 | 260 | OT | Northwestern
40. Hayden Schwartz | Bolles (Jacksonville) | 6-4 | 244 | DL | Nebraska
41. Nikai Martinez | Apopka | 5-11 | 175 | CB | UCF
42. Tre Donaldson | Florida State University High School (Tallahassee) | 6-0 | 190 | S | Undecided
43. Keahnist Thompson | Lakeland | 6-3 | 255 | DL | UCF
44. Devin Moore | Naples | 6-3 | 190 | S | Notre Dame
45. Trevon Howard | IMG Academy | 6-1 | 200 | S | Northwestern
46. Jordan Phillips | Ocoee | 6-2 | 300 | DL | Tennessee
47. Chandler Smith | Bishop Moore (Orlando) | 6-1 | 180 | WR | Florida
48. Amari Niblack | Lakewood (Clearwater) | 6-4 | 220 | ATH | Alabama
49. Devaughn Mortimer | Dillard | 5-9 | 170 | WR | Florida State
50. Zane Durant | Lake Nona (Orlando) | 6-1 | 251 | DL | Penn State