Manny Navarro's Spring Tour, Part 5

By MANNY NAVARROmnavarro@MiamiHerald.com
 
Plantation quarterback Brandon McGee (6-0, 180) is one of the top recruits in the nation. He is being recruited as a cornerback.
MANNY NAVARRO | MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Plantation quarterback Brandon McGee (6-0, 180) is one of the top recruits in the nation. He is being recruited as a cornerback.

When Steve Davis won the state championship at Blanche Ely in 2002, his cellphone never seemed to stopped ringing. College football recruiters were hot on his tail, chasing after Tyrone Moss, Cyrim Wimbs, Andrew Bain and Teraz McCray -- who all ended up at the University of Miami.

Six years later, Davis' cellphone is blowing up again. Only this time, his team hasn't even completed spring football.

''It's funny how much recruiting has changed just in a few years,'' said Davis, now in his fourth season at Plantation High.

``Tyrone was the best player in the county, but even he didn't have as many offers now in the spring as some of our guys do now. The race starts earlier now. I've been getting text messages all day from college coaches with offers for the kids.''

Davis said Friday he had more than 25 college scouts on his sideline for Thursday night's 35-7 spring victory against Miami Krop.

What they saw was probably one of the best collections of talent in Broward, including a 2009 class that could feature as many as seven Division I recruits.

At the top of the list are two players with more than 30 offers already -- athlete Brandon McGee (6-0, 187) and safety Vlad Emielen (6-1, 195).

Not far behind is cornerback Josh Robinson (5-10, 185), who picked up an offer Friday from the University of Florida -- his 13th.

''A lot of schools want me as a corner, but they also like what I can do at receiver,'' said Robinson, who caught a long touchdown pass Thursday and is working on improving his 2.2 grade-point average. ``But I don't have a preference. I'll play wherever I can get on the field.''

Receivers Ronnie Kennedy (5-7, 160), Reggie Washington (6-4, 195), defensive end Omar Ambersley (6-3, 255) and 6-3, 290-pound offensive lineman Chris Blake (who missed the spring with a concussion) are all players Davis expects to go D-I too.

Kennedy, a cat-quick slot receiver, has four offers, including a new one from Central Michigan. Ambersley, who could sprout into a defensive tackle at the next level, received high interest from Purdue after Thursday's game.

''It's definitely the most talent I've had to work with since we won it all at Ely,'' Davis said.

McGee, who threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as Plantation's quarterback Thursday night, is the leader of the pack.

Expected to play cornerback at the next level, he reminds me a lot of former Hurricane Antrel Rolle, displaying the same infectious smile and confidence Rolle once had when he was the leader at South Dade High. McGee told me when I visited Plantation on Wednesday that he grew up a Florida State fan and idolizes Deion Sanders. But he isn't just going to pick the Noles because he likes them.

''I need to find the school that is the best fit for me,'' said McGee, who has schools such as FSU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, LSU, USC, UF, UM, Georgia and Tennessee among his 31 offers. ``I'm still very much wide open and looking for a school with stability and where I could see some early playing time.''

Emielen, whom Davis describes as a ferocious hitter, had 95 tackles and three interceptions last season for the Colonels. Emielen, who has a 3.5 GPA, listed Ohio State, USC, South Florida, North Carolina and Stanford as the schools he's most interested in.

''Vlad, like Omar, is still just really developing,'' Davis said. ``He was a running back as a freshman. I think he has the potential to be just like [current Gator] Major Wright.''

 

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Comments (0)

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL VIDEOS



MOST POPULAR STORIES