S. Florida players dot Georgia, Tide rosters
Sony Michel’s four-touchdown performance for Georgia made the biggest splash among the 10 local players in last Monday’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
Michel, a former standout for American Heritage-Plantation, is the most prominent among seven players remaining from Broward and Palm Beach counties who will represent the area in Monday’s championship game between the Bulldogs and Alabama.
Michel’s 27-yard touchdown run in double overtime sent the Bulldogs to a 54-48 win against Oklahoma and their first appearance in the title game under the CFP system while ending the first overtime game in 104 Rose Bowls.
Most notable among four Alabama players from South Florida is starting wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who caught a touchdown pass in the Crimson Tide’s 24-6 semifinal romp against Clemson.
Here are the local players in the national spotlight when the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide vie for the national title:
The junior got the Crimson Tide going against Clemson, scoring their first touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Jalen Hurts. He finished the day with four catches for 39 yards. For the season, he has caught 59 passes for 935 yards and four touchdowns. Before becoming a key member of the Crimson Tide, he was an All-County selection at Monarch. If he skips his senior year, he is expected to be a firstround pick in next year’s NFL draft.
In a sterling effort, he ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yarder, in the semifinal thriller against Oklahoma, and scored on a 13-yard reception. A senior, Michel is the Bulldogs’ second-leading rusher with 1,129 yards on just 142 carries. He ranks No. 3 on Georgia’s all-time rushing list with 3,540 yards despite being the backup most of his career. At American Heritage, he was one of the most highly recruited players ever from South Florida. Michel is projected as a second-round pick in next year’s NFL draft.
In limited playing time, Jeudy caught 13 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. A freshman, his role is expected to expand next season. In high school, he was the nation’s 19th-rated prospect.
A junior, Taylor made his first career start earlier this season against Vanderbilt. He finished the season with 13 tackles. He was a three-star prospect in high school and helped lead Hallandale to a 10-2 record as a senior.
The younger brother of Alabama’s Calvin Ridley has eight catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns, making three starts. The sophomore played but didn’t catch a pass in the semifinal against Oklahoma. A four-star prospect, he was rated the nation’s 40th-best receiver by ESPN. He also played in the Under Armour All-America Game. He played sparingly while he adjusted to the collegiate level. Cowan had two tackles and one quarterback hurry this season. He was also recruited by Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss and Oregon.
He spent most of his freshman season playing on special teams. All 10 of his tackles were kick coverage. A four-star recruit, he was rated the nation’s No. 5 safety coming out of high school.