Florida RB has ACC, Big East offers

Coral Springs (Fla.) Taravella running back/defensive back Anthony Heard is a name that hasn’t been too prominent this spring, but that could be changing now.

Heard (6-1, 215, 4.55) has picked up a number of scholarship offers, including Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Central Florida and South Florida.

“We had a whole lot of people come to see him this spring,” said Taravella coach Perry Schneider. “Almost everyone from the ACC and the Big East were in here to see him and watch film with me. They all came away impressed. He’s legit. I’ve had 51 D-I kids since I’ve been coaching, and he’s right up there.”

Miami and N.C. State have also shown interest in the Taravella standout.

Heard was used almost exclusively as a defensive back as a junior, but will move into the primary ball-carrier’s role this season.

“Anthony's a slasher who has good size and strength,” Schneider said. “He gains a lot of yards after contact. He's got great vision and runs with his pads down, all the things you really can't teach.

“He looked real good this spring. That’s when he started getting a lot of attention. A lot of people feel he’s the No. 2 back down here in South Florida behind Leon Pennington Jr.”

Schneider also noted that Heard is a good student and all-around person. “He’s a great kid, comes from a really nice family. They’re military people, so he’s very disciplined.”

According to Schneider, Rutgers may hold the early lead in his recruitment. The family moved to Florida from New Jersey.