Florida Varsity Top 160 Seniors
The state of Florida has, arguably, more high school football talent than any state in the entire country. Some will mention California, Texas, and Louisiana as hotbeds for talent, but none have them have the talent to hang with Florida.
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It was very difficult to break down the hundreds of talented student-athletes to a final 160, but it got done and we feel we touched on all of the future stars. This list is comprised of what we believe to be the most talented football players in the state of Florida. Before you get into the FlaVarsity Top 160, let's breakdown the players who made the top 10.
Nelson Agholor, the 6-foot-2, 185 pound receiver from Berkeley Prep high school, is the number 1 player in the state. He has everything you look for in a receiver and has a bright future ahead of him. He has very good speed, terrific body control in the air, and his route running is very fine tuned.
Bolles offensive lineman John Theus comes in at number 2 in the ranking. It was a toss up between he and Agholor, but Agholor's game changing ability won out. Theus is a prototypical left tackle prospect. His technique is nearly flawless and his size makes him college ready right now. He has very good feet and uses his hands very well. There is nothing not to like about this 6-foot-6, 292 lineman. He will be a special player at the next level.
Florida State commitment Dante Fowler Jr. is number 3 in the ranking. Fowler is extremely fun to watch. He has an incredible burst off the edge and has a ton of moves to use against offensive linemen. The 6-foot-3, 232 pound Lakewood high school product is extremely athletic and has the ability to move to linebacker if necessary. He has done very well in 7-on-7 competitions this off-season, which is rare for most defensive linemen.
Players who go to Alabama to play defense usually pan out and end up successful. Eddie Williams, the 6-foot-4, 200 pound safety prospect from Arnold high school and number 4 player in the state, is hoping that comes true again. Williams, the Alabama commitment, is super athletic and has the size and speed to play safety or linebacker at the next level. He is very smooth in coverage and has a ton of range. His size gives him an edge in the secondary, as he can overpower small receivers.
Tracy Howard is the best cover corner in the state of Florida and the number 5 player in the state. He is very physical at the line of scrimmage, which works in his favor. He doesn't just try to muscle receivers, he does it with great technique to make sure he doesn't give up any big plays. He has plenty of speed to hang with any and all receivers and his ability to turn and run is extremely smooth.
When looking for a game changer at running back, look no further than Mario Pender. The Island Coast product, who is number 6 in the state, has all the tools to be a major college running back. It can be boring at times watching Pender because he makes everything look so effortless. He outruns the competition with his speed and gets through any holes with his superb agility. The Florida State commitment has potential to be one of the better running backs that have come through Tallahassee in years.
There may not be a better route runner in the state than Chris Black, the wide receiver from First Coast high school and number 7 player in the state. He is a very smooth athlete and plain and simple, he's a playmaker. At 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, his size is not that of Nelson Agholor, but there isn't much of a difference between the two receivers. He is committing to Alabama, Florida State, or Florida on August 24th and whoever gets him will be getting a talented kid, both on and off the field.
It was tough to rank Avery Young, the talented offensive lineman from Palm Beach Gardens and Jessamen Dunker, the terrific offensive lineman from Boynton Beach. They are are different types of lineman, but they are both two of the best in the state. Young is our number 8 player and his athleticism and smooth play one out. If this 6-foot-6, 273 pound lineman continues to work, nothing will get in his way.
Dunker came in at number 9. The 6-foot-6, 315 pound prospect is a large individual. He is very athletic for his size and displays very solid technique. There may not be another linemen or player in general, with more potential than Dunker. He has moments where you can see that he is raw, but then you see moments where he could be the best lineman in the country.
Clemson is getting a great prospect in Travis Blanks, the number 10 player on our ranking. The 6-foot-1, 195 cornerback from North Florida Christian high school, is projected by many to move to safety due to his terrific size, but Blanks has a ton of ability at corner. He is very smooth in coverage and really attacks the ball in the air with ease. He is physical at the line and really overpowers his opponent.