Southeast Spotlight: Five prospects that have boosted their stock
The 2023 season is in full swing all over the country, with marquee matchups already in the books in the high school football world. Down in Florida, of course, many prospects have backed up their lofty rankings as others work to impress and improve their stock. Here are a handful of prospects turning major heads in the Sunshine State.
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The blue-chip recruit that Rivals has seen at work most recently in Florida, Mincey is not only closing in on a decision between Florida, Florida State, Miami and Alabama, but he's answering evaluators' questions along the way. The lengthy defensive back has been defaulted to a safety projection across the industry except for on Rivals. After seeing him at work on Friday night - against strong competition - the cornerback projection feels like a stronger bet than ever when Mincey makes the move to college. He is quite comfortable at the line of scrimmage, he can turn and run with the best of them and has an uncanny ability to play the football at the catch point.
The trend of longer corners is taking over the NFL and college game, so not only may Mincey stick to the position on Rivals, but he may be due for a jump in the Rivals250 before the end of the cycle as well.
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A Canada native looking to earn offers in America after moving to Clearwater Academy International, Raymond accomplished some of his goal during an impressive offseason. But few could have predicted what Friday nights would bring for the balanced junior runner, who led the state in rushing leading into the program's bye week last week. Raymond is around 200 pounds, but he runs bigger, though he has the receiving acumen and space game to contend as a more modern back. He packs a punch and finishes runs with leverage and drive, even as it has become clear he is the focal point of the offense.
Raymond has put great film on tape against truly elite competition, too, including against defending state champion Miami Columbus, where he racked up more than 300 yards from scrimmage to go along with three scores.
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Already tabbed as a blue-chip recruit, Williams has long held the athletic tools to make an impact, but he's taken it up a notch as a junior. The lengthy and speedy talent isn't just getting after the passer, though he continues to flash in the backfield. He's also making even bigger plays in scoring several touchdowns early on for The Benjamin School. Williams has a pair of pick-sixes to his name and he's getting in the end zone as a part-time tight end prospect as well.
As Williams continues to fill out his frame and polish up his game, he will be tough to keep from running up the rankings in just about every update. He just visited in-state Florida and will be at Georgia and Miami over the next month or so.
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A basketball player turned football pass catcher is nothing new in sports, but it's still exciting to see how quickly a prospect can progress on the gridiron. Wimbley has made the initial jump, and the returns are productive as a jumbo wideout and even on defense as a rush end, where he has splashed for Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Westminster Academy in 2023.
Not only has he hauled in four touchdowns but he's become consistent enough with non jump-ball throws to be among the top 10 receivers in the state of Florida from a yardage standpoint. On defense, the 6-foot-6 prospect has bent the edge for several sacks, making some wonder what sport and/or position he'll play in college.
The Miami hoops legacy recruit has increased his offers in both sports as a junior.
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One of the most productive passers in the Orlando area, it's been a breakout campaign for Coleman in somewhat limited time because he is sharing some of the workload with 2024 Ole Miss commitment Trever Jackson.
Coleman is not only outproducing the future SEC passer by a wide margin, but he's begun to earn the lion's share of the reps despite his youth. Coleman has a strong arm and works comfortably on the move and he's also willing to take shots down the field as he settles in. He has enough juice to keep defenses honest with his legs, but as his mechanics improve he will rack up more opportunities as a pocket talent playing against strong competition every week.
A half dozen programs, including Texas A&M and Ole Miss, are already on the offer list here.