5 Florida-related takeaways from 2024 Under Armour Next All-America football game

ORLANDO — One of the nation's premier high school football showcases quickly turned into a one-sided romp Wednesday as Team Ice cruised past Team Fire 39-9 in the Under Armour Next All-America Game at Camping World Stadium.

College football fans got an early look at future Saturday stars. Alabama-bound linebacker Cayden Jones and Oregon-signed defensive back Ify Obidegwu each returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Michael Van Buren earned MVP honors by completing 10 of 15 passes for 136 yards and a TD.

Volusia-Flagler schedule, Jan. 2-6: High school sports back in full swing after holiday break

Van Buren shined on what proved to be a stellar day for Mississippi State, under the direction of new head coach Jeff Lebby. Wide receiver Mario Craver caught a 51-yard touchdown, and four-star athlete Braylon Burnside announced his commitment to the Bulldogs during halftime.

Let's take a look at some of Florida's representatives, both the state's top high school athletes and the soon-to-be stars of its four Power Five programs. Here are five Florida-related takeaways from the Under Armour Next All-America Game.

Florida's 5-star QB DJ Lagway exits early with foot injury

Few players arrived in Orlando this week with more fanfare than Willis (Texas) quarterback DJ Lagway, a consensus five-star recruit who signed with Florida last month and is a finalist for Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Lagway flashed his dual-threat talent in the first half. He bounced outside to his right, made a move in the open field and gained 15 yards on a designed draw, and he fired a 37-yard completion to Virginia Tech signee Chanz Wiggins in single coverage down the left sideline.

But Lagway's day was cut short due to a foot injury. Deiric Jackson, Lagway's NIL representative, told the Orlando Sentinel, "He's going to be fine. I told him to shut it down. It was bothering him enough it was (affecting) how he plays the game."

"I feel like it will be good," said Lagway, who was 5-of-10 passing for 46 yards. "It was a blessing, and I was surrounded by amazing teammates. (The experience) was fun."

All three of the Gators' All-America participants suited up for Team Fire. Buchholz linebacker Myles Graham led the team with five tackles, and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) linebacker Aaron Chiles recovered two fumbles, including a 34-yard scoop-and-score for Fire's lone touchdown.

Miami signee Booker Pickett Jr. brings the heat

Prolific Wharton pass-rusher Booker Pickett Jr. turned in one of the day's top stat lines. Pickett — who will become a second-generation Miami Hurricane — had two sacks and 2½ tackles for loss, making a fourth-and-short run stuff in the second half.

Pickett, who recorded 76 career sacks in 42 career games at Wharton, reaffirmed his commitment to the Hurricanes in late December after a late recruiting surge from UCF. He hopes to provide a similar freshman-year impact off the edge as Rueben Bain, who tallied 7½ sacks this past fall.

"This probably gives me some more confidence onto my skills developing, working harder just to further my craft," Pickett said. "(Miami) is going to use me in the Jack position and the Will position, basically like a hybrid. They can use me wherever they want to; I can play linebacker and D-end."

UCF linebacker Qua Birdsong capitalizes on second-half snaps

Qua Birdsong saw more snaps as the game wore on, and the UCF signee made them count. The Troup County (Ga.) linebacker tied with Graham for the game-high with five tackles, including 2½ for loss and a strip-sack of Reno on Team Fire's final snap from scrimmage.

UCF prioritized Birdsong in the summer, and eventually flipped him from Big 12 rival Cincinnati the first week of July. He's one of the Knights' nine consensus blue-chip recruits, the most in program history for a single cycle, and three UA All-Americans — along with Grayson (Ga.) tight end Kylan Fox and Rockledge defensive back Jaylen Heyward.

National Signing Day: Industry experts break down UCF's historic 2024 recruiting class

"This takes my self-esteem to a whole 'nother level, man," Birdsong said. "I know I've got to keep working, though. … Ain't nothing done yet.

"I love doing what I do, and keeping that chip on my shoulder. Keep on dominating. Let's go."

Chaminade-Madonna teammates Cedrick Bailey, Davion Gause score TDs

Representing the No. 2 high school team in the nation, according to MaxPreps, Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Cedrick Bailey and running back Davion Gause provided scoring plays for Team Ice.

Bailey, the Class 1M Player of the Year and a Mr. Football finalist, hit Craver for the aforementioned 51-yard TD pass on a bootleg to his right. His backfield running mate Gause got into the act midway through the third quarter, slipping through a seam for an 8-yard TD run.

"It took a lot of pressure off for me," Bailey said of his TD toss. "I came in a little shaky. My first pass was to the ground. After that touchdown, everything was up. It brought energy to the team, and everybody rallied around that one little play I made."

Bailey and Gause will go their separate ways in college, and suit up for rival schools. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound quarterback signed with N.C. State, while Gause — nicknamed Bullet — is heading to North Carolina. Chaminade-Madonna also featured two of the country's premier senior wide receivers: Miami signee Jojo Trader, who had one catch for six yards, and Ohio State signee Jeremiah Smith, who will play in Saturday's All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

A late add, Lake Mary's Josh Raymond gains SEC experience

Josh Raymond's in-home visit with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea and offensive line coach AJ Blazek took a surprising turn in December. Raymond, who considered a flip to Stanford at the time, was informed by the Commodores coaches that he was invited to the Under Armour Next All-America Game.

"ESPN actually called them first," Raymond said. "Instead of talking bad on my name or something, they still showed love and said I'd be a great candidate.

"I want somebody that's going to have my back. Especially with the portal nowadays, you need someone you can put your trust in. It's just family over there. I know that I will grow with my coach and become a real dominant player."

Raymond protected the blind side of one of the nation's top 2026 quarterbacks, Noah Grubbs, as he threw for 3,670 yards and 41 touchdowns. He matched up with a handful of Florida's premier defensive linemen, including Mainland's LJ McCray in the final week of the regular season.

"It was so exciting competing against the best of the best," Raymond said. "I'll be playing against half of these guys again. … It actually helped me set a gauge on where I'm at. There is a star ranking, and then there's a once-you-get-in-pads-and-you-hit ranking. That's how I like to look at it."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2024 Under Armour Next All-America Game: 5 Florida-related takeaways