Florida spotlight: Prospects on the rise
The offseason circuit is warming up all over the country with marquee events taking place every weekend. In the state of Florida, many prospects have backed up their lofty rankings while others work to impress and improve their stock.
Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. highlights five prospects in the Sunshine State that have already boosted their stock this offseason.
THIS SERIES: Offseason risers in the Midwest | Southeast
When Nebraska took Bronaugh’s commitment back in the fall, it was viewed as a smart long-term move because of the size and sheer speed he brings to the table as a wide receiver or defensive back. Since, it has looked like a brilliant push from Matt Rhule and company because the rising-senior has filled out and put together a string of performances that have his cell phone battery in flux.
First, Bronaugh charted a 10.33-second, personal best run in the 100-meter dash before registering sub-21 seconds in the 200 meters. Then on Sunday, he took home MVP honors among defensive backs at Under Armour Orlando.
All of that effort on a legitimate 6-foot-1 frame has colleges all over the country circling back on the Orlando-area star who registered six interceptions as a junior. Bronaugh is being pushed by LSU, Penn State, Florida State, Syracuse and others for visits. He plans to consider the trips despite the pledge to the Cornhuskers.
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A two-way player who helped Gadsden County to the state championship game, Green is a modern linebacker projection at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds or so. On Friday nights, he plays all over the field, from safety to linebacker to wide receiver. It’s easy to see his functional speed and instincts on display regardless of position. Green racked up more than 100 tackles as a junior and flashed true explosive power in the process.
After mulling a reclassification to the 2027 class to be back with his age group, having skipped ahead in grade school, Green has settled back in the rising-senior cycle as his recruitment takes shape.
Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas are among those that are commanding attention at this time, with an official visit to Fayetteville set for the first week of June. Many other trips will eventually get added to the slate.
A prep quarterback who has a basketball background at Fort White (Fla.) High School, Jackson flashes all over the field or court but his home is eventually the defensive secondary. Elite change-of-direction skill, length and football IQ allow him to make several plays from the corner and safety spots, leading to five interceptions in 2024.
On offense he scored 28 touchdowns in helping the program make a deep playoff run without seeing much time on the sidelines.
Jackson has begun to hit the FBS radar from a recruiting standpoint, holding offers from Arkansas State, Delaware, Bethune Cookman and Towson while Clemson, Cal and others are showing considerable interest.
Delaware is hosting him March 15 and Coastal Carolina will have the honor the following weekend, but the overall athleticism and football savvy on a 6-foot-1 frame should push this recruitment to the next level sooner rather than later.
Somehow quietly, while at Davenport (Fla.) High School, the junior put up head-turning numbers without much recruiting attention in sight. Following a 1,200-yard, 12-touchdown campaign, he made the move to Orlando (Fla.) Evans High and the offers have been pouring in of late.
He is a crafty route-runner who gets to the third level of the defense with relative ease, but he really makes his proverbial money at the catch point. The rising-senior has a knack for tracking the ball and playing with balance through contact, allowing for chunk plays on routine. As he fills out a solid frame, the quick recruiting rise may convert to a national offer list by the end of the offseason.
Jean-Bart will make spring practice trips to Pitt, Wake Forest and others following new offers from more than one dozen schools in the FBS.
The lone 2027 prospect on this list, there was buzz built for Malpress before his first drill at the UA camp on Sunday because of a head-turning 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. Equipped with long and defined arms, he was able to get blockers off balance and win with power or quickness thereafter. It has showed up on tape in flashes, too.
Power Four programs have yet to jump into the race to date, however. Malpress reports offers from Middle Tennessee, which just signed his older brother Darnell in the 2025 cycle, in addition to FAU, FIU, Western Kentucky and South Florida.
UCF is the program he wants to pull the trigger next as he anticipates a boom in his recruiting process, but we can see this recruitment stretching well beyond the semi-regional footprint. Syracuse jumped in as the first P4 Malpress’ way on Wednesday morning.
