Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Top football stars ready to commit
Roger Harriott has been on every side of the recruitment process.
As a player, he graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas and played at Boston University. He worked as an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic, helping pitch the Owls to high school players. Since taking over as coach for the Raiders in 2015, he’s helped guide dozens of Division I players through their recruitment, too.
“Winning produces an intense, euphoric emotion for those who possess its competitive spirit. However, it’s been most gratifying to witness each player’s intercollegiate aspirations come to fruition. The moment they sign and submit their (National Letter of Intent) is certainly one of the most memorable highlights of their lives.”
Harriott will have 14 players signing on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period. Twelve of them are going to
Power 5 schools, including Alabama, Miami and Oklahoma.
The Raiders coach is far from overwhelmed, though.
“I enjoy everything about college recruiting,” he said. “It enables opportunities for high school coaches to provide collaborative guidance and support for parents,
players and college coaches during this stressful time. I feel a substantial sense of validation as a coach.”
Commitments to Watch: Many of Broward and Palm Beach counties signees have been committed for months, and their signings hold little suspense. But there are several interesting storylines and players to follow. Here are some of the top players to watch:
Jordan Battle, St. Thomas
Aquinas: The Raiders’ four-star safety has been committed to Ohio State since June. But with Urban Meyer stepping down, the door has opened for other teams to make a run at Battle, who 247Sports’ composite rankings list as the No. 77 player in the nation. Battle and his teammates at St. Thomas plan to send in their letters of intent early Wednesday morning, so we’ll know quickly if Battle stays with the Buckeyes or flips.
Kaleb Boateng, Fort Lauderdale: Boateng is one of the few local players signing Wednesday who have not committed. Boateng holds offers from Arizona, FAU, Maryland and more, but his stock has been rising lately. Boateng had a strong season on the offensive line, and other programs have taken notice of the three-star prospect.
Brandon Dorlus, Deerfield Beach: Dorlus, a three-star defensive lineman, is also uncommitted. The Bucks standout was previously committed to Virginia Tech but decommitted from the Hokies on Dec. 5 after a visit to Florida. The Gators and Oregon are both potential landing spots for the 6-foot-2 lineman.
Other recruiting notes:
■ St. Thomas Aquinas 2019 fourstar linebacker Anthony Solomon decommitted from the Miami Hurricanes and committed to the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.
■ Piper 2019 defensive back Cecil
Powell committed to Baylor. Powell picked Baylor over FAU, FIU, Indiana and more. He is rated a three-star prospect.
■ Deerfield Beach 2019 wide receiver Donte Banton committed to Utah. Banton, a three-star prospect, picked the Utes over Baylor, FAU, Kentucky and more.
■ U-School 2019 athlete Zay
Flowers committed to Boston College, picking the Eagles over Appalachian State, Nebraska, South Carolina and more. He is a three-star prospect.
■ Fort Lauderdale 2019 defensive lineman Demetris Dorceus committed to Air Force. He picked Air Force over FAU, N.C. State, Wake Forest and more. He is rated a three-star prospect.
■ Chaminade-Madonna 2020 athlete Deidrick Stanley picked up an offer from South Carolina. He is a three-star prospect and has offers from Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville and more.
■ St. Thomas Aquinas 2019 wide receiver Matthew Akuchie decommitted from Army. He also holds offers from Columbia, Lehigh and Yale.
■ Fort Lauderdale’s Boateng received an offer from Arizona. Boateng, a three-star prospect, holds offers from FAU, Maryland, USF and more.
■ Chaminade-Madonna 2021 running back Thad Franklin received an offer from Florida. Franklin is committed to Miami.
■ Franklin’s teammate at Chaminade, 2020 wide receiver Elijah
Canion, received an offer from Nebraska. He is a three-star prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida and Miami, among others.
■ King’s Academy 2019 quarterback Justin Wake received an offer from Southwest Baptist University.
■ Pahokee 2019 athlete Leroy
Love received an offer from Alabama State.
■ Dwyer 2019 offensive lineman
Da’Quan Thomas received an offer from Wagner College.
■ Plantation 2019 defensive back
Adrian Cole, a Syracuse commit, received an offer from Maryland. Cole is a three-star prospect.
■ U-School 2020 defensive lineman Jalen Reeves received an offer from Pittsburgh. Reeves holds offers from Boston College, LSU, Syracuse and more.