Mandarin vs. QB Grubbs among top matchups
For the second time this season, one of the state’s premier quarterbacks is going up against one of the state’s most talented secondaries.
Lake Mary sophomore quarterback Noah Grubbs is taking on a loaded Mandarin secondary with Penn State cornerback commits Jon Mitchell and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter and junior safety Drake Stubbs.
Grubbs vs. Mandarin’s defensive backs is one of the best potential matchups featuring top recruits to watch in the regional semifinals.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Grubbs has offers from several of the nation’s top programs, including Colorado, Duke, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and others. The strong-armed quarterback has completed 60% of his passes for 3,515 yards and 49 touchdowns. His 49 touchdown passes are tied with Wakulla’s Haden Klees for the most in the state.
Mandarin counters with its experienced and talented secondary. Mitchell leads the team with 11 passes broken up and is second with three interceptions. Stubbs, whose offers include Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma and USC, leads the team with four interceptions and has broken up five passes. Belgrave-Shorter has an interception and five passes broken up.
The teams met in Week 6, with Lake Mary winning 34-16. Despite the loss, Mandarin limited Grubbs to a seasonlow 102 yards and one touchdown. It was the only time this season that Grubbs didn’t have multiple passing touchdowns.
Here are some of the other top individual matchups to watch in the regional semifinals.
Edgewater 2024 CB Cai Bates vs. Jones 2025 WR Vernell Brown III
(Region 1-3M: No. 4 Jones at No. 1 Edgewater)
Bates (6-foot-2, 160 pounds) is committed to LSU. He has 22 tackles, three interceptions and eight passes broken up. Brown (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) has offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and others. Brown has 55 catches for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns.
Berkeley Prep 2025 CB Dallas Golden vs. Tampa Catholic 2024 WR TJ Moore
(Region 2-2M: No. 5 Tampa Catholic at No. 1 Berkeley Prep)
Golden (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others. He has six tackles, four interceptions and three passes defended. Moore (6foot-3, 190 pounds) is committed to Clemson. He has 42 catches, 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Buchholz 2024 DL Kendall Jackson vs. Ponte Vedra 2024 OL Jake Guarnera
(Region 1-4S: No. 4 Ponte Vedra vs. No. 1 Buchholz)
Jackson (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) is committed to Florida. Guarnera (6foot-4, 285 pounds) is committed to Michigan.
Palmetto 2025 DL Davion Dixon vs. Western 2024 QB Davi Belfort
(Region 4-4M: No. 3 Western at No. 2 Palmetto)
Dixon (6-foot-2, 290 pounds) is committed to Notre Dame. Belfort (6-foot, 190 pounds) is committed to Virginia Tech. He has thrown for 2,257 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 444 yards and eight touchdowns.
Columbus 2024 TE Benjamin Blackburn vs. South Dade 2026 S Tedrick Lee
(Region 4-4M: No. 4 South Dade at
No. 1 Columbus)
Blackburn (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) is committed to Stanford. He’s caught 35 passes for 585 yards and eight touchdowns. Lee (6-foot-1, 165 pounds) has offers from Arkansas and Florida A&M. He has 50 tackles, five tackles for loss, four interceptions and 11 passes broken up.
Armwood 2024 S Rashad Godfrey Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Tech 2025 WR Dallas Wilson
(Region 1-3M: No. 3 Tampa Bay Tech at No. 2 Armwood)
Godfrey (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) is committed to Iowa. He has 33 tackles, four passes broken up and two fumble recoveries. Wilson (6-foot-3, 180 pounds) is committed to Oregon. He has 41 catches for 718 yards and nine touchdowns.
St. Thomas Aquinas 2024 DB Ryan Mack vs. Blanche Ely 2024 WR Marcel Williams
(Region 3-3M: No. 4 Blanche Ely at No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas)
Mack (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) is committed to Miami. He has 33 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes broken up. Williams (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) is committed to Marshall. He has 44 catches, 769 yards and six touchdowns.
St. Augustine 2025 WR Carl Jenkins Jr. vs. Escambia 2025 DB Ladarian Clardy
(Region 1-3S: No. 5 Escambia at No. 1 St. Augustine)
Jenkins (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) has offers from Louisville, Texas A&M, UCF,
Wake Forest and others. He has 40 catches for 798 yards and 11 touchdowns. Clardy (6-foot, 175 pounds) has offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State, USF, Tulane and others. He has 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and six passes defended.
Lincoln 2024 LB Sam Robinson vs. Choctawhatchee 2024 RB Cole Tabb
(Region 1-3S: No. 3 Choctawhatchee at No. 2 Lincoln)
Robinson (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) is committed to Rutgers. He has 54 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble. Tabb (5-foot-8, 190 pounds) is committed to Stanford. He has rushed for 1,478 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Raines 2025 DL Jyon Simon vs. Bolles 2024 QB DJ Moore
(Region 1-2M: No. 4 Bolles at No. 1 Raines)
Simon (6-foot-4, 282 pounds) has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Texas and others. He has 69 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, eight sacks and nine quarterback hurries. Moore (6-foot-1, 165 pounds) is committed to Coastal Carolina. He has thrown for 1,688 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns.
Vanguard 2024 QB/DB Fred Gaskin III vs. Zephyrhills 2025 S DJ Pickett
(Region 2-3S: No. 4 Zephyrhills vs. No. 1 Vanguard)
Gaskin (5-foot-11, 174 pounds) is committed to USF. He has thrown for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 407 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pickett (6foot-2, 170 pounds) has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and others. He has 31 tackles, one interception and three passes broken up.
Golden Gate 2025 ATH Bradley Martino vs. Dunbar 2024 WR Tawaksi Abrams
(Region 4-3S: No. 4 Dunbar at No. 1 Golden Gate)
Martino (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) has offers from Boston College, Illinois, Pitt and others. He has 33 tackles, three interceptions and two passes defended. Abrams (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) is committed to Florida. He has 36 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns.
Wakulla 2024 WR Nehemiah Chandler vs. Florida High 2024 DB Ashton Hampton
(Region 1-2S: No. 3 Florida High at No. 2 Wakulla)
Chandler (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) is committed to Georgia Tech. He has 36 catches for 669 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hampton (6-foot-2, 191 pounds) is committed to Clemson. He has 50 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and two passes defended.
Blountstown 2024 DL Artavius Jones vs. Sneads 2024 RB Jason Patterson
(Region 2-1R: No. 4 Sneads at No. 1 Blountstown)
Jones (6-foot-3, 305 pounds) is committed to Miami. He has 39 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Patterson (5-foot-11, 197 pounds) is committed to Cincinnati. He has 1,124 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns and has thrown for 169 yards and three touchdowns.
Norland 2024 OT Raynor Andrews vs. Monsignor Pace 2025 EDGE Wilnerson Telemaque
(Region 4-2M: No. 4 Monsignor Pace at No. 1 Norland)
Andrews (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) is committed to Rutgers. Telemaque (6foot-6, 254 pounds) has offers from Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Pitt, West Virginia and others. Telemaque has 16 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.
Central 2024 EDGE Armondo Blount vs. Booker T. Washington 2024 RB Gerald Modest
(Region 4-2M: No. 3 Booker T. Washington vs. No. 2 Central)
Blount (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) is committed to Florida State. He has 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Modest (6-foot, 180 pounds) has offers from Illinois, Liberty, Maryland, Syracuse and others. He has 343 rushing yards and five touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Trinity Christian 2024 QB Colin Hurley vs. University Christian 2024 ATH Dah’kari Gilley
(Region 1-1M: No. 4 University Christian at No. 1 Trinity Christian)
Hurley (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) is committed to LSU. He has thrown for 1,484 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown. Gilley (6foot-2, 180 pounds) is committed to Rutgers. He has 61 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one interception.
Cardinal Newman 2024 EDGE Devon Byrd vs. Benjamin 2024 OL Chase Malamala
(Region 3-1M: No. 3 Benjamin at No. 2 Cardinal Newman)
Byrd (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) is committed to USF. Malamala (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) is committed to UCF.