Plenty of local talent could be drafted
Year after year, one of the constants in the NFL draft is that a treasure trove of talented players from South Florida high schools will be selected.
Here is a list of the local players who could hear their names called this week:
WR Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell, Louisville, Miami Northwestern. A four-year starter at quarterback in high school, Atwell ended storied Northwestern’s decadelong state championship drought when he led the Bulls to the Class 6A title as a senior. It sparked a run of three straight for “The West.” A diminutive 5 feet 8 and 155 pounds, Atwell was electric as a slot receiver at Louisville. He was first-team All-ACC each of the past two seasons after going for 70 receptions, 1,276 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019 and 46 catches, 635 yards and seven touchdowns in a truncated 2020 season. The combination of his unprecedented small size — even for a slot receiver — and unquestioned explosiveness have him as a likely Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) pick.
CB DiCaprio Bootle, Nebraska, Miami Southridge. A super-speedy standout at Miami Killian before transferring to Southridge for his final high school season, Bootle posted the second-most pass breakups in a season in Nebraska history with 15 in 2018. As effective as he was in coverage over 32 consecutive starts for the Cornhuskers, he didn’t get his first interception until his redshirt senior season in 2020. At 5-9 ½, 180 pounds and running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, Bootle could be a late-round snag helping an NFL team in nickel/dime packages or on special teams.
K Jose Borregales, Miami, Booker T. Washington. He had to take a circuitous route to play for the Miami Hurricanes. They weren’t looking for a kicker in his recruiting class, since they already had Michael Badgley on the roster. Standing out at FIU for four years — and even sticking it to UM with three field goals in the colossal crosstown upset in November 2019 at Marlins Park — Miami sought him as a transfer. Kicking on a bigger stage in 2020, Borregales made 20 of his 22 field goal attempts (one miss was blocked) with a long of 57 and all of his extra points. He earned the Lou Groza Award for college football’s top kicker and will likely be the first kicker selected in the draft.
CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia, American Heritage. Campbell was part of a hyped duo of cornerbacks coming out of American Heritage in 2018, along with fellow SEC star Patrick Surtain II. Campbell was a five-star prospect and the No. 12 player in his class, according to 247Sports’ composite ranking. Campbell played three seasons for the Bulldogs, getting in 33 games. He had 89 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 11 pass deflections. He also scored two touchdowns on returns. Campbell is likely to be drafted in the first few rounds and could sneak into the first round.
DL Noah Curtis, FIU, American Heritage-Delray. The former Palm Beach Lakes and American Heritage-Delray defensive lineman spent four seasons with Florida International. He had 109 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks. His best season was his sophomore campaign, when he racked up 49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He will likely be a third-day selection or an undrafted free agent.
S Shawn Davis, Florida, Miami Southridge. Davis was a three-star prospect coming out of Miami Southridge and grew into a key player in the Florida secondary. Davis had 124 tackles, five interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 5.5 tackles for loss over four seasons with the Gators. In his final collegiate season, he had 40 tackles, two interceptions and two tackles for loss. Davis has had nagging injuries in his career. As a sophomore, he missed the first month of the season. In his senior year, he missed five games due to injury. He also reportedly suffered an injury while running the 40-yard dash. He projects as a mid- or late-round pick.
TE Nick Eubanks, Michigan, American Heritage. Eubanks figures to go on Day 3 as a6- 4½ red-zone target and decent blocker after five years in Ann Arbor. His best season came in 2019 as a redshirt junior when he caught 25 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. Eubanks was All-County second team his last two years at American Heritage before heading to Michigan as a four-star recruit. He was an integral part to the Patriots’ second state title in 2014, his junior year.
WR Trevon Grimes, Florida, St. Thomas Aquinas. Grimes starred for the Raiders and was a high-end four-star prospect before taking his talents to Ohio State. He transferred to Florida after the 2017 season and was one of Florida’s top receivers from 2018-20. In the Gators’ pass-heavy offense last season, he had 38 catches for 589 yards and nine scores. He racked up 1,464 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 100 catches in college. Grimes is likely to be a mid- or late-round draftee.
RB Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech, American
Heritage. Herbert was big for Heritage in 2015, transferring from Stoneman Douglas for his senior year to run for 861 yards and nine touchdowns and be named to the Sun Sentinel’s All-County first team. After four years at Kansas, he made a similar move for his final college season to Blacksburg. His 7.7 yards per carry for the Hokies were fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2020 as he totaled 1,182 rushing yards, also standing out on kick returns. He’s likely to get selected on Day 3 of the draft.
CB Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State, Miramar. Jean-Charles was not a touted recruit coming out of Miramar, but he made a name for himself at Appalachian State. Jean-Charles played four seasons for the Mountaineers, making 97 tackles with two interceptions and 33 pass deflections. He had 37 tackles, 17 pass deflections and one pick as a senior. Jean-Charles was named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football and a first-team All-Sun Belt pick. He is a likely late-round pick.
RB Greg McCrae, UCF, Miramar. McCrae’s journey from Miramar to the NFL draft first led him to sign with Navy, then led him to walk on at UCF and, ultimately, earn a scholarship and leave his mark in the Knights’ backfield. He had 1,298 yards from scrimmage averaging 9.2 yards per touch with 11 touchdowns in 2018, his best season. At 5-10, 182 pounds, a team could give him a look late in the draft.
WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss, St. Thomas Aquinas. Moore will likely be a second-day draft pick, going in the second or third round after three seasons at Ole Miss out of Aquinas, where he transferred to from Western earlier in his high school career. An Under Armour All-America selection, Moore may have provided Broward County’s first Early Signing Period flip in his recruitment when he backed off Georgia and chose Ole Miss, where he was committed earlier in the recruiting cycle. He was then uber-productive for the Rebels. In 2020, under new coach Lane Kiffin, he broke a school record with 86 receptions that went for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2019 as a sophomore, he caught 67 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns.
WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee, St. Thomas
Aquinas. Palmer was a three-star prospect coming out of high school and became a solid receiver for the Volunteers. Over four seasons with Tennessee, he had 99 catches for 1,514 yards and seven scores. Palmer’s biggest selling points are his hands: He had only four dropped passes on 164 targets, according to The Athletic. Palmer is a likely mid- or late-round pick.
FB/TE John Raine, Northwestern, Miami
Westminster Christian. Raine played his first four college seasons at Florida Atlantic before transferring to Northwestern for 2020. More of a blocking tight end in his college career, especially when lining up with now-Cleveland Browns tight end Harrison Bryant at FAU, Raine may translate as a versatile fullback in the NFL. Nonetheless, he collected 24 receptions, 233 yards and two touchdowns in eight games for the Wildcats last season and could get picked late in the draft.
CB Aaron Robinson, UCF, Deerfield Beach.
Robinson was a three-star prospect from Deerfield Beach, and he originally signed with Alabama. Robinson transferred closer to home after his freshman year. After injuries hampered his redshirt sophomore year, he blossomed into a second-team All-AAC player as a redshirt junior. He finished his college career with 109 tackles, three interceptions and 17 pass deflections. As a senior, he had 41 tackles and no interceptions but did break up six passes. Robinson has a good chance to be a second-day pick.
DE Gregory Rousseau, Miami, Champagnat
Catholic. Rousseau is as close as someone’s going to get to a one-and-done in football. Sandwiched in between a freshman season where he was injured in his first college game and a third year where he opted out due to the pandemic and an already-high draft stock was a 15 ½-sack redshirt freshman season in 2019. At Champagnat, he played all over both sides of the ball, including wide receiver. Now, the 6-6½, 266-pound edge rusher with an 83¼-inch wingspan and 11-inch hands has had his stock plummet a bit after not playing in 2020 and a pro day that left much to be desired. He could still be a first-round pick but wouldn’t last long into the second round if he has to wait until Day 2 to hear his name called.
CB Asante Samuel Jr., FSU, St. Thomas Aquinas. Samuel, the son of former Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, came out of high school with plenty of hype. Samuel was rated a four-star prospect out of St. Thomas and signed with Florida State. Samuel played three seasons with the Seminoles, racking up 93 total tackles, four interceptions and 29 pass deflections. He had a career-best three interceptions as a junior and had 30 total tackles. Samuel was a first-team All-ACC pick as a junior. He will likely be an earlyround selection.
WR Anthony Schwartz, Auburn, American
Heritage. He was the fastest athlete in America in his high school graduation year, and he’s the fastest player in the 2021 NFL draft. With a track sprinter background and 2018 Gatorade National Boys Track Athlete of the Year when he broke multiple state records, Schwartz ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. In his third and final season at Auburn, he led the Tigers with 54 receptions for 636 yards in 10 games, scoring three touchdowns. Still considered a raw speedster as a wideout, Schwartz could get picked anywhere from early Day 2 to the third day of the draft.
DL Tedarrell Slaton, Florida, American Heritage. Slaton left high school with uncertainty about where his final position would be. He was a top-rated offensive lineman out of Heritage with some experience on the defensive side of the ball. The Gators put him at defensive tackle, and he succeeded at that position. In four years at Florida, he had 95 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. As a senior, Slaton had 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Slaton will likely be a late-round pick.
CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama, American
Heritage. The son of the former Miami Dolphins All-Pro cornerback by the same name also had him as his high school coach and now looks to follow in his footsteps with a successful professional career. Surtain II has been top of his class since he was a fivestar recruit for the Patriots. It’s no surprise that, three years later, he’s leaving Alabama as one of the first defensive prospects that will likely get selected on Thursday (in a draft that figures to have an early run on quarterbacks and pass-catchers). At 6-2, 208 pounds, Surtain possesses the size, speed, athleticism, hips and technique to cover any type of receiver and is elite in press-man coverage. Becoming a starter for the Crimson Tide as a freshman, Surtain collected four interceptions and 27 pass breakups in his college career.
DL Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh, Cooper City.
Weaver was not a hyped prospect coming out of Cooper City, earning a low three-star ranking, but he became a strong contributor at Pitt. He missed his redshirt junior season due to injury but returned in a big way as a redshirt senior. In his final season for the Panthers, Weaver had 35 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He was a consensus All-American and a first-team All-ACC selection. Weaver finished his college career with 110 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and five forced fumbles. Weaver will likely be a mid-round pick.
S James Wiggins, Cincinnati, South Dade.
Some believe Wiggins put better film on tape in his 2018 season when he had 54 tackles, five pass breakups and led the Bearcats with four interceptions. A key 2019 campaign for him never materialized due to a preseason ACL tear, but he received second-team AP All-American and first-team All-AAC honors for posting 32 tackles, an interception and six pass breakups in 2020. Wiggins could be a Day 3 selection.
CB Rachad Wildgoose Jr., Wisconsin, Miami
Northwestern. Wildgoose was a solid cornerback out of high school, earning a three-star ranking and signing with Wisconsin. Wildgoose played in 10 games as a freshman and 13 as a sophomore but only two as a junior due to a shoulder injury. He has 57 career tackles, one interception and 15 pass deflections. If he is selected, it will likely be in the later rounds.
CB Marco Wilson, Florida, American Heritage. Wrapping up the extensive list of South Florida cornerbacks in the 2021 NFL draft — and American Heritage products — the younger brother of NFL cornerback Quincy Wilson is a solid Day 3 pick that could sneak into Day 2 and the third round. Wilson was a Sun Sentinel first-team All-County selection and state champion as a senior in 2016, bouncing back from a torn ACL ahead of his high school junior season. He was a starter as a freshman at Florida in 2017, but he then had his sophomore season cut short due to another torn ACL. He posted three interceptions and five pass breakups for the Gators in 2019 and then had 33 tackles and four pass deflections in 10 games in 2020.