FIU football recruit – newly focused – writing his story of redemption

He’s a cornerback, but he’s no longer cutting corners in his life.

Meet Larry Preston, one of FIU’s most dynamic football recruits from the Class of 2022.

An Orlando native, Preston was the star quarterback who helped lead Wekiva to an 11-2 record and a berth in the 2018 regional finals, losing 19-7 to eventual state champ Jacksonville Mandarin.

Many of Preston’s teammates on that Wekiva team earned Division I scholarships, including second-team All-ACC safety Brandon Hill (Pittsburgh); defensive tackle Tyler Davis (Clemson); linebacker Rian Davis (Georgia); and defensive back Renardo Green (Florida State).

But Preston’s phone didn’t ring.

No offers, and it had nothing to do with his stellar athletic ability.

“I wasn’t into my schoolwork like I should’ve been,” Preston told the Miami Herald. “I didn’t have the grades. I was caught up in the moment. I didn’t have my priorities right. I was cutting classes and stuff.

“As the quarterback, I thought I could get away with stuff. I lost a lot of opportunities, and I regret it.”

Preston’s numbers that year weren’t overly impressive. He passed for 1,326 yards and 15 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, and he added 302 yards rushing with four more scores.

But as an athlete, Preston said he was told he would have had “20-plus” offers if not for his shoddy academics.

“That 2018 team was built on defense, but (Preston) could run and throw,” Wekiva coach Rich Bedesem said. “He was teetering at a 2.0 grade-point average. Getting him eligible to play at the next level would’ve been a challenge.”

Preston ended up at a prep school, Elite Sports, located in Kissimmee.

“I wasted a year there,” Preston said. “My classes weren’t accredited. I was going to a junior college when Coach (Arturo) Freeman called me.”

Preston spent one year coached by Freeman at McDougle Technical Institute.

Under Freeman, Preston – a 6-1, 175-pounder – converted to cornerback.

“I love football,” Preston said. “I’m finding out more about defense, and I’m falling in love with it. I want to be a lockdown corner, make my presence known. I plan to make a big impact.”

New FIU coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff believe Preston can do big things, and that’s Freeman’s vision, too.

“He passes the eyeball test with a 6-3 wingspan and speed,” Freeman said of Preston, 19. “I saw a kid who was hungry and focused.”

As part of McDougle Tech’s academic program, Preston learned a trade, choosing to become a barber. He spent six months learning that craft, and he practices on his younger brother’s hair.

Someday, Preston could own his own barbershop.

But that’s down the road. This fall, the only fades Preston will be focused on are the routes by wide receivers he is trying to shut down.

“He’s always had the talent,” Bedesem said of Preston as a football player. “It was just a matter of putting it all together with his grades. He’s long and athletic. He can be special at corner if he trains just at that position.”

Preston, who said he believes he is faster than his 4.47 timing at his most recent camp a couple of years ago, is indeed a versatile player.

In addition to quarterback and cornerback, he has also played running back, wide receiver, linebacker, safety and special teams kick returner and tackler.

Mostly, he wants to make his family proud: his mother Tricia, a nurse; his father, Larry, who works for a pool company; his sister Linnea, a prep junior volleyball player; and his brother Jaden, a budding football player in the sixth grade.

“I didn’t want to show myself quitting,” Preston said of his siblings. “I want them to look up to me. I know everyone is happy to see me prosper.”

In other words, this cornerback has turned a corner.