Talented trio looking to boost Mighty Dragons
Stranahan is not a traditional football powerhouse.
The Mighty Dragons have never won a football title and have made the state playoffs only five times since the turn of the century. But a young crop of talented players could be the ones to change that.
Rising senior linebacker Omar Graham Jr., rising junior wide receiver Hykeem Williams and rising sophomore running back Tovani Mizell are all coveted prospects, and they could lead a Stranahan surge.
“I feel like we’re building a great program,” Graham said at the Under Armour Camp Series in Miami on March 7. “I know [Mizell and Williams are] young. I pray that they carry it over when I’m done because we’ve got a lot of underclassmen and this program could be doing good for the upcoming years.”
Graham, the eldest of the trio, has seen his recruitment blow up in recent months.
A Sun Sentinel All-County second-team selection as a junior, Graham is rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports’ composite ranking. He is listed as the No. 35 outside linebacker and No. 564 player in his class.
Graham has offers from 40 teams, including Florida, Florida State and Miami. Graham said he wants to visit FSU, Miami, Central Florida, Penn State, Michigan, Auburn and Indiana when he has the opportunity.
“I’m trying to make a decision somewhere probably in the spring or the summer,” Graham said. “I’m just going to keep asking questions and doing virtual visits so I can learn more about the programs [and] make the right decision.”
Williams, who was an all-county honorable mention as a sophomore, has seen his stock rise this year. Since the calendar flipped to 2021, he picked up offers from Alabama, Florida, FSU, Miami and Notre Dame, among others. On March 15, he picked up an invitation to the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.
“It’s been amazing, actually,” Williams said at the Under Armour camp. “I didn’t know it was going to blow [up] like this. I knew I was a dog, but I didn’t know other people saw it in me.”
Williams said the offers from Alabama, LSU, Miami and Florida have been among those that have stood out the most so far.
“I’m looking for a family, to be honest with you, because I’m leaving one family to be at a college, which is going to be the next family,” Williams said. “So whoever welcomes me the most would be what I’m looking for.”
Mizell is the youngest of the three, but his recruitment is also starting to heat up. After just one year in high school, Mizell has early offers from Cincinnati, Indiana and Texas A&M. He was an all-county honorable mention as a freshman.
“To get an offer this early makes me want to work harder,” Mizell said at the Under Armour camp.