National Signing Day 2018 Has Little Drama
Other than American Heritage – and the four prospects that hadn't announced their college intentions, the second part of the National Signing for the Class of 2018 went by with very little drama.
If you count Patrick Surtain Jr. going to Alabama – when LSU and Miami had been on the short list – things went by smoothly for local football players.
Having been a part of 48 National Signing Day events, and being at some of the biggest signing day spectaculars over the years, the national attention continues to shine on this area because of the talent – and the level they play at – year round.
While Surtain, Jr., chose to head out to play for the defending national champions, his teammates made their own choices as well. The University of Georgia got the other half of the nation's top cornerback tandems – when Tyson Campbell chose the Bulldogs over the Hurricanes and others.
Linebacker Andrew Chatfield, who has been on the radar for nearly four years and originally committed to The Ohio State, loved first year Florida head coach Danny Mullen and the staff in Gainesville.
And, as many expected Nesta Silvera decided to stay home and play for the Hurricanes, giving Miami a marquee defensive tackles.
While many will look at areas such as California and Texas as focal points of recruiting, there is simply no other region of the country – or any country – that churn out the elite football talent like Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, boasting 62 players on NFL rosters this past year.
Prospects such as Nigel Bethel (Miami Northwestern) opted to take his talents to Coral Gables – with many other schools looking in his direction.
After a 3A state championship, Chaminade-Madonna and head coach Dameon Jones boasted 21 total signees including five football players who play college football in the SEC. Leading that group was four-star wide receiver Xavier Williams, who signed with Alabama after a tremendous career with the Lions.
Chaminade also had three players sign with Kentucky, including receivers Marvin Alexander and Akeem Hayes, and defensive tackle Davian Hawkins. The Lions also had running back Shaun Shivers sign with Auburn.
"It's all about getting those scholarships," said Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services. "The one question an athlete and a parent has for any coach is can you help my son get a college scholarship. That is what our coaches are now judged on."
If that is the barometer, Chaminade-Madonna, St. Thomas Aquinas and Miami Central were the big winners with over 60 athletes signed this recruiting cycle.
Also, Northwestern capped off a solid year by sending Rachad Wildgoose to Wisconsin and underrated Sharod Oliver who joined the defending national Division II runner up University of West Florida
The Miami Central story is perhaps the best in the country. There is NO public school program in the nation that has sent more players on to colleges in the past nine years - like the Rockets have.
With five state titles in six years, head coach Roland Smith and his program sent eight players on to the NFL and 142 on to the next level.
"It's all about graduating and getting that diploma and moving on to the next level," Smith said. "That is something that coaches and prospects have been all about for a long time."
WHERE THEY ARE HEADED
While we couldn't list every player who signed in this class, we did pick out a few to showcase – as we send our Class of 2018 off with a great salute for a job well done:
Ezekiel Alexander (Chaninade-Madonna) Northwood
Amir Augustin (Miami Central) Florida Tech
Kenny Bastida (Deerfield Beach) Kansas
Al Blades, Jr. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Miami
Nik Bonitto (St. Thomas Aquinas) Oklahoma
Renard Bozeman (Boyd Anderson) UCF
Thomas Bradshaw (Chaminade-Madonna) Mount Union
Arthur Brathwaite (Central) Western Kentucky
Xavier Burns (Coral Gables) Walsh
Griffin Cerra (Cardinal Gibbons) Southern Illinois University
Jordan Chambers (Western) Florida Tech
Sherron Chester (Miami Carol City) Florida Tech
Zeryus Coleman (Miami Central) Bethune Cookman
Coleman Crozier (St. Thomas Aquinas) Naval Academy
Grayson Crozier (St. Thomas Aquinas) Naval Academy
Kiaryn Davis (Northwestern) Florida Tech
Michael DiLiello (Cooper City) Florida Tech
Jordan Dillard (Southridge) FAMU
Trey Flowers (Palmetto) Penn
Logan Giordano (Chaminade-Madonna) Eastern Michigan
Devin Golden (Gulliver Prep) Miami
Steven Greaves (South Plantation) Savannah State
Andrew Hallman (Archbishop McCarthy) Miami
Tyler Harrell (Columbus) Louisville
Victor Harvey (South Broward) Bethune Cokman
James Head (Southridge) Indiana
Alvin Howard (Key West) Florida Tech
Herman Jackson (Southridge) FAMU
Miles Jones (American Heritage), Nebraska
Tavares Kelly (St. Thomas Aquinas) Virginia
Brandon Lee (Cardinal Gibbons) Mount Union
Tai Lehtio (Douglas) Florida Tech
Dyllon Lester (American Heritage) UCF
Tarique Livingston (Chaminade-Madonna) Mount Union
Daniel Longman (Chaminade-Madonna) Boston College
Evan Loesel (Cardinal Gibbons) Columbia
Kalen McCarty (St. Thomas Aquinas) Penn
Chis Metayer (Miami Central) FAMU
Tony Mills (Columbus) FAMU
Aaron Morgan (Carol City) Marshall
Lawrence Papillon (Dr. Krop) Marshall
Brock Parry (Taravella) Florida Tech
Amani People (Northwestern) Florida Tech
Daniel Perera (Columbus) Morgan State
Desmond Pete (Blanch Ely) Bethune Cookman
Darryl Powell (Blanche Ely) Bethune Cookman
Cory Prince (Chaminade-Madonna) Wofford
D'Andre Ragin (St. Thomas Aquinas) Toledo
Justinn Richardson (Chaminade-Madonna) Old Dominion
Jordan Riggins (Cardinal Gibbons) Morgan State
Ryan Saddler (Cardinal Gibbons) Bryant University
Sebastian Sainterling (Chaminade-Madonna) USF
Ryan Sanchez (Killian) West Florida
Eric Scott (Chaminade-Madonna) Ave Maria
Darrell "Rocky" Shelton (St. Thomas
Shaun Shivers (Chaminade-Madonna)
Anthony Schwartz (American Heritage) Auburn
Taurrian Stafford (Miami Central) Alabama State
Cameron Stage (Cardinal Gibbons) Bowling Green
Harrison Story (Western) Florida Tech
Rekeem Terry (Homestead) Bethune Cookman
Ivan Thomas (Palmetto ) FIU
Tecorey Tutson (Coral Gables) Fort Hayes
Diego Vallina (Cypress Bay) West Florida
Fralon Warren (South Dade) University of Charleston
Carlton Williams (Chaminade-Madonna) Northwood
Marquis Williams (Cardinal Gibbons) Pitt
Michael Williams (Miami Central) Valdosta State
Devonta Wilson (Miami Central) Murray State
Zackary Zambrano (American Heritage) Princeton
Tyler Zimero (South Dade) Valdosta State
Mark Zinn (St. Thomas Aquinas) University of Chicago
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