Bigger, faster, stronger: Cocoa 2026 QB Brady Hart added 25 pounds of muscle in offseason
COCOA — Bigger, faster, stronger is the clichéd mantra, but it’s actually true in the case of Cocoa quarterback Brady Hart.
The rising junior, who helped Cocoa win its second consecutive state championship in 2023, added 25 pounds of muscle in the offseason.
“Obviously, its my maturity and my body,” said the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Hart. “I’m still young, I’m 16 years old. Last year, my body wasn’t fully developed, but I committed myself this offseason to eat. It’s a weakness of mine. I needed to put on some weight, get my base strong and just get a little stronger. I see the growth everywhere in my game.
“I feel like I’ve added five or six yards on my deep ball. I feel like I’m ripping it for sure.”
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In 2023, Hart had 3,759 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes against a schedule that included state powers Jones, Venice, St. Thomas Aquinas, Treasure Coast and Seminole.
He didn’t throw for three months after the season ended as he focused on healing from a back injury.
That didn’t stop him from putting on good weight, though.
“He’s bigger, stronger, quicker than he was — which is scary,” Cocoa coach Ryan Schneider said. “Brady is one of those kids who takes everything deadly serious. His goal for the offseason was to put on weight and he put on 15-20 pounds of pure muscle. He looks great. He's worked his butt off. He takes it so serious that he watches his nutrition perfectly. He’s done a great job and we’re very excited for where he is.”
Colleges also are excited about Hart and his potential. Florida, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M and UCF are among the schools to offer.
Florida was a “special” offer for Hart as his father, Alex, played baseball at Florida from 1999-2002 and was later drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates.
“It’s a dream of mine,” Hart said. “Who knows if it's the right situation or not, but I’ve literally been working my whole life for the opportunity.”
Hart said the schools currently showing the most interest are Notre Dame, Penn State, North Carolina, Michigan and UCF. Penn State had multiple coaches at practice Thursday.
Having so many options has actually caused Hart to rethink his timeline of when he plans to announce his commitment.
“I initially wanted it to be before the season,” he said. “But as the process has gone on, there’s so many great things about so many schools, it’s been really difficult to make a decision. It will probably end up being after the season.”
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Bigger, faster, stronger: Cocoa QB Hart added 25 pounds in offseason
