Defense rules on Sentinel Super 25 football prospect list, topped by Edgewater cornerback
Defenders dominate in our preseason Sentinel Super 25 list of Orlando area college prospects.
Quarterback Trever Jackson, who transferred from West Orange to Jones this summer while seeing his stock soar, is the only offensive player in the top nine of a list written on Aug. 3 by Andrew Ivins, a 2009 Lyman High School graduate. Ivins is now based in Fort Lauderdale as the football director of scouting for the 247Sports national website.
“Florida always seems to churn out more defensive guys,” Ivins said. “You see it on Saturdays [in college football].”
The Class of 2024 talent pool is topped by cornerback Cai Bates, who was a wide receiver for Edgewater until he was switched to the defensive side last season and excelled.
Bates is recruited by the best of the SEC and took official visits to Alabama, FSU, LSU and Tennessee. He announced a July 26 commitment to LSU, which had eight defensive backs picked in the past four NFL drafts.
All but one of the top 15 were announced commits as of Aug. 3. The exception is Jackson.
Wekiva defensive terror Sincere Edwards, who was seen by many as a local lock for UCF after he was the Knights’ first 2024 commit in August 2022, switched gears. The 6-2, 240-pound Wekiva standout de-committed and reopened his recruitment July 21. He ended up announcing his commitment to Pittsburg on Aug. 15.
UCF football’s 2024 recruiting class takes hit, loses two pledges
Winter Park’s Vernon Woodward, a transfer from Orange City University, initially committed to Wisconsin but switched that pledge to Illinois in June.
Oral commitments are non-binding subject to change until paperwork is signed in the two NCAA National Signing Day periods (Dec. 20-22 and Feb. 7 into April).
Evans safety Brandon Jacob, who confirmed his speed as a 200-meter dash district champion last spring, took visits to Maryland, Texas A&M and UCF before committing to the Terrapins on July 20.
That was a day before huge Jones defensive lineman D’antre Robinson (6-4, 305) committed to Texas. If that pledge sticks Robinson will join the Longhorns’ two Orlando area 2023 signees: running back Cedric Baxter Jr. (Edgewater) and offensive lineman Payton Kirkland (Dr. Phillips).
Ivin’s Class of 2025 short list is topped by West Orange safety Ivan Taylor, the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl cornerback Ike Taylor. He is followed by Kissimmee Osceola’s Taevion Swint, a dynamic running back who committed to UCF in April. He ran for 1,666 yards, averaging 7.4 per carry, as a sophomore.
Sentinel Super 25
(commitments in parenthesis)
1. CB Cai Bates, Edgewater (LSU)
2. QB Trever Jackson, Jones
3. S Brandon Jacob, Evans (Maryland)
4. DL D’antre Robinson, Jones (Texas)
5. CB Vernon Woodward, Winter Park (Illinois)
6. DL Sincere Edwards, Wekiva (PItt)
7. DL Preston Watson, Seminole (Duke)
8. CB Chasen Johnson, Seminole (UCF)
9. S Jalon Thompson, Olympia (North Carolina)
10. OL Tye Helton, Oviedo (FSU)
11. S Quentin Taylor, Lake Minneola (Iowa State)
12. OL Joshua Raymond, Lake Mary (Vanderbilt)
13. LB Jashad Presley, Dr. Phillips (UCF)
14. DL Tyler Simmons, Windermere Prep (Virginia)
15. RB Kaden Shields-Dutton, Edgewater (FAU)
16. DL Joshua Alexander-Felton, Edgewater
17. RB JT Bronaugh, Foundation Academy
18. CB James Chenault, Jones
19. DL Anthony Rosier, Wekiva (Appalachian State)
20. WR Jordyn Bridgewater, West Orange
21. WR Joshua Evans, Olympia
22. QB Karson Siqueiros-Lasky, Seminole (Penn)
23. WR Michael Key, Seminole
24. S Emiril Gant, Lake Mary
25. ATH Javon Ross, DeLand
Super 6 juniors
1. S Ivan Taylor, West Orange
2. RB Taevion Swint, Osceola (UCF)
3. OL Max Buchanan, Seminole
4. LB Elijah Melendez, Osceola
5. LB Ethan Pritchard, Seminole
6. ATH Josh Guerrier, Ocoee
Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.tom.
