Manny Navarro's Spring Tour, Part 3

MANNY NAVARRO | MIAMI HERALD STAFF Norland coach Nigel Dunn won a state title with the Vikings in 2002 and has 10 former players currently in the NFL, including receivers Dwayne Bowe, Andre Johnson and Roscoe Parrish. » More Photos

Few high school coaches ever get a chance to win a state championship or coach an NFL player. Nigel Dunn has done both. But what he has done more than any other coach of late -- possibly in the entire country -- is the latter.

''I got a call the other day from a reporter who told me that I've got more former players in the NFL than any other coach in the country,'' said Dunn, who has a list of 10 former players he has coached from his time at Miami High (1994-99) and Norland (2000-current) currently in the league -- including former University of Miami receivers Andre Johnson and Roscoe Parrish. ``I don't know if its a record. But I definitely feel very blessed.''

Blessed or not blessed, Dunn knows how to evaluate talent and help it go places. Earlier this decade, he pulled Dwayne Bowe out of the hallway at Norland and helped launch a career that led Bowe to being a national champion at LSU before he was selected as a first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007.

Dunn has another receiver at Norland now who is drawing lots of comparisons to Bowe in 2009 recruit Xavier Rhodes.

Last Friday, I made a pit stop at Norland during my spring tour to watch the 6-2, 190-pounder during practice. Although I didn't see an instant comparison to Bowe, I was impressed with how Rhodes does not shy away from contact.

On one play in which he caught a quick outlet pass during 7-on-7 work, Rhodes had an opportunity to use his speed and outrun an opponent down the sideline for a touchdown. Instead, he opted to run up the middle of the field. After breaking an attempted tackle by a linebacker, Rhodes stiff-armed a safety and outran the rest of the secondary for a score. Although he caught an earful from coaches for not bouncing outside and using his speed, it was the type of play Dunn said shows how Rhodes and Bowe are a little different.

''I think talent-wise, he is right there with Dwayne,'' Dunn said by phone Wednesday. ``Both have big-time strength and speed. I think X might be a little faster than Dwayne was at this time and maybe a little more physical. Dwayne would catch the ball and try to elude you. X wants to catch the ball and run you over.''

Dunn said Rhodes has 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash and currently has scholarship offers from Miami, Florida State, FIU, West Virginia and Auburn. Rhodes told me he likes ''FSU.'' Dunn said he expects more schools to pursue Rhodes soon, though. After catching 20 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns last season and sharing the limelight with FIU signee Emmanuel Souarin, Rhodes figures to be the central focus of Norland's spread offense this fall.

The Vikings, who will play their spring game against District 12-6A rival Carol City on May 23 at Traz Powell Stadium, return six starters on offense and five on defense from a team that finished 7-4 and lost to Cypress Bay in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Dunn said his toughest task will be replacing the leadership Souarin provided as well as his entire starting linebacking unit. But there is always plenty of talent around Norland, which draws some of the best talent in North Dade from places such as Scott Lake Optimist.

One of those talents is Tourek Williams, a 6-3, 220-pounder who will be a senior next season. Williams started both ways for Dunn last season on the line but will see more time next season at tight end. Williams doesn't have any Division I-A scholarship offers yet, but Dunn expects Williams to have some by the end of the spring.

''He reminds me a lot of my former tight end at Miami High, Lonnie Johnson, who played for the Bills and at FSU,'' Dunn said. ''He's got real good feet and he's real athletic.'' Dunn said fellow senior-to-be Mario LaFrance (6-3, 220) is a carbon copy of '08 FIU signee Kenny White and expects LaFrance and fellow lineman Walter Walker (6-1, 230), who also is an excellent long-snapper, to get scooped up by a college by the end of their senior seasons. The rest of the stars in the 2009 class -- WR Jonathan Jackson (5-7, 140), LB/FB James Beasly (5-8, 170) and DB/RB Gyovanni Harvey (5-8, 162) -- could be I-AA recruits.

There are several top-tier underclassmen at Norland, including 2010 cornerback Damitri Beal (5-11, 170), who qualified for regionals in track in the 100 and 200 meters, and 2011 running back Brian Malcolm (5-5, 150). But the player who caught my eye last Friday was 2011 quarterback Jerrard Randell (6-0, 178), who was hurling passes at receivers so hard the balls were bounding off their shoulder pads and chests.

''In my 25 years of coaching, I've never had to tell a kid to take something off the ball until now,'' said new Norland quarterbacks coach Eddie Arza, a former assistant at Booker T. Washington. ``This kid has a cannon. If we can coach him up, he's going to be real special by the time he's a senior.''

Both Dunn and Arza claim Randell was clocked throwing a 94-mile-per-hour fastball in baseball this past season (I'd like to see the radar gun myself). Dunn said his staff is trying to get Randell involved in several quarterback camps this summer.

HALLANDALE

One player who will be deeply entrenched at quarterback at least one more season is Hallandale's Victor Marc. The 6-foot, 215-pound senior-to-be, who ran Krop's offense in 2006 and 2007, was busy running the Chargers' offense Monday when I visited Hallandale. And he seemed to be doing a lot more throwing than he did last year at Krop, when he completed just 31 passes for 608 yards, 8 TDs and 7 INTs.

Second-year coach Dameon Jones said Marc, who is receiving competition from talented 2011 quarterback Armani Coswell (6-1, 155), has the arm to be a college quarterback if he wanted. But he said of the 12 schools who have already offered Marc a scholarship, only one (South Florida) might be willing to give him a shot at playing QB. Marc, apparently, is warming up to the idea of playing defensive back, which is where most schools, including Ohio State, Central Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Boston College, Clemson and Auburn envision his future.

Hallandale, which has undergone a dramatic turnaround under Jones, including a 10-2 season a year ago, has plenty of other schools interested in many more of its players. None more, perhaps, than 2009 cornerback and fellow Krop transfer Ricardo Dixon. Jones said the 6-foot, 175-pound junior has 17 offers. Florida State, South Florida, UCF, Tennessee and West Virginia are among the leaders for Dixon, who was timed by Jones' staff with 4.39 speed in the 40. But Dixon said he'd love it if his dream school -- the University of Miami -- gave him a call.

''I really grew up a UM fan,'' Dixon said Monday. ``I admired Sean Taylor and Devin Hester a lot and I really like the Canes. But I haven't heard from them yet.''

If UM stops by, it might want to check out 2009 recruit Akevis Anderson, who was not at practice Monday when I visited. Anderson (5-11, 195) was an All-Broward second-team selection and is a clone of Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders, according to recruiting guru Larry Blustein. Jones said Anderson, who played a lot of linebacker last season and scored 12 touchdowns as a goal-line back, will be moving back to safety this fall. South Carolina and Cincinnati already have made offers to Anderson. But more schools are expected to jump on him quick.

Other Hallandale seniors to watch include hard-hitting linebacker Roddrick Lott (5-11, 205), lineman Demerrick Goolsby (6-0, 275), defensive end and sack machine Greg Smith (6-0, 210), defensive back Shawn Mohammed (5-11, 165) and defensive lineman Roy Bowden (6-0, 240).

The top underclassman at Hallandale is running back Michael Anderson, who could be one of the top 2010 recruits in Broward next season. The 6-foot, 175-pound speedster averaged almost 11 yards a carry last season and totaled 985 yards on 97 carries with 11 touchdowns. Anderson is out this spring after undergoing surgery to repair his torn right meniscus. But he'll be at Hallandale on May 21 to cheer when his teammates take on Cardinal Gibbons at 7 p.m. in their spring game. Fellow 2010 recruits to watch include defensive tackle Christian Braggs (5-11, 270) and receiver Marken Michael (5-10, 165).

KROP

The school Marc and Dixon used to play for last season was one of the most frequented by recruiters last spring. This spring, there is definitely a different feeling around Krop. New coach David Hudson, the team's former defensive backs coach, is in rebuilding mode after losing Ohio State signees Etienne Sabino and Travis Howard and 17 of 22 starters from a team that finished 7-3 and barely missed the playoffs in District 12-6A.

Linebacker Quan Fletcher (6-1, 230) is the 2009 recruit most colleges stop by and visit now. Fletcher wasn't practicing Monday when I visited Krop (he had his right pinkie in ice). But he looked to be in a lot better shape physically than he did a year ago. That's because he has lost nearly 20 pounds. After weighing more than 240 last season, Fletcher has gotten leaner and plans to play at around 230 this season. He was timed with 4.67 speed in the 40-yard dash recently -- his fastest time ever -- and likely will play a little bit at running back this season.

Pittsburgh was checking him out Monday. Fletcher said he already has several offers, including a written one from Purdue. Florida State, Central Florida, Tennessee and South Florida also are very interested. Fletcher said he grew up a Hurricanes fan while playing at North Dade Optimist. But he said the one thing he learned from Sabino's recruiting process a year ago was ``to keep an open mind and pick the best fit for himself.''

Defensive lineman Brandon Taylor, son of Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, shares the opinion. Taylor, a 6-2, 280-pounder, was wearing a North Carolina T-shirt Monday (his father played for UNC). But he says he'll be keeping an open mind during the recruiting process. Hudson said Taylor doesn't have any written offers yet but is being scouted closely by Ohio State, LSU and Florida.

Krop has a few other seniors to watch, including cornerback Sebastian Ferjusto (5-9, 160), safety Eric Hurst (6-0, 170), receiver Rodney Daniels (6-0, 150) and defensive end Ryan Berse (6-1, 195). The 2010 class is led by quarterback Marlon Kelly (6-1, 190).

Krop plays its spring game May 22 against Plantation at PAL Field.