Florida high school football: Which players are poised to rise as recruits in 2023?

Sometimes college recruiting is a race to identify players as soon as possible, which is why elite athletes are getting offers while they're still in middle school.

But there still are a handful of players who fall through the cracks and get missed. Every year a handful of seniors come on very late in the process and become major college recruits.

Last year, Lakewood senior edge rusher Chamberlian Campbell and Union County defensive lineman Markus Strong both emerged late and ended up signing with Power 5 programs. Campbell didn't have a Power 5 offer until late October and signed with Ole Miss in February; Strong signed with Oklahoma in December — less than three months after his first Power 5 offer.

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Here's a look at some players around the state who could see their recruiting take off with a strong 2023 season.

Big Bend: Florida High DB Tyson Howard

Slotting in at defensive back for a talented Florida High defense, Howard is a big-time player for the Seminoles. Posting 81 tackles and three interceptions in 2022, the 5-foot-11 Howard holds offers from Alcorn State, University of Alabama Birmingham and Florida A&M. After a strong offseason and a big senior season expected with Florida High in the state title conversation, he could see his recruitment take off. — Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat  

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Bradenton-Sarasota; Venice DL Ryan Daly

Daly, a transfer from IMG Academy in Bradenton, should fill a void on the Venice defensive line left by graduates Damon Wilson (now at Georgia) and Trenton Kintigh. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound Daly can play both defensive tackle and defensive end. He carries a 3.56 grade-point average. — Dennis Maffezzoli, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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Daytona Beach: DeLand WR/DB Javon Ross

One of Central Florida's premier ironmen last season, Ross fit seamlessly into Rick Darlington's single-wing plans as a junior. The 5-foot-9, 163-pound slotback averaged 9.7 yards per offensive touch, totaling 752 rushing yards, 451 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. Defensively, Ross will shift from safety to corner following the transfer additions of Rameir Gordon and Justin Brown Jr. Lindenwood, Stetson and Tennessee Tech are the only Division I programs to verbally offer Ross, despite his three-star rating from 247Sports, who ranked him the No. 150 athlete and the No. 189 high school prospect in Florida. — Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Fort Lauderdale: Cypress Bay ATH Joaquin Edie

Edie is one of the most underrated senior prospects in South Florida. A pure athlete who not only dominates on offense and defense, but also on special teams. Last year, he racked up 21 receptions for 410 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also demonstrated his ability to be a lockdown corner with three interceptions and five PBUs. Edie showcases elite return skills as well, having scored two return touchdowns. Anticipate Edie to have a massive year at Cypress Bay and make a major leap in recruiting. Edie holds offers from Valdosta State and Bethune Cookman. — Quinten Lambert, Special to the USA Today Network

Fort Myers: Dunbar LB Kyeran Garcia

Garcia stood out on a loaded Dunbar defense last season as that unit played a key role in the team's run to the Class 3S semifinals. Garcia led the team in tackles with 157 in addition to 12 tackles-for-loss and 4 blocked punts. At 6-foot-3, Garcia has put on 10 pounds in the offseason and has offers from Temple, Florida A&M, Navy, Air Force and Eastern Kentucky. With Dunbar returning many of the key piece of their defense in his senior season, expect Garcia to continue to produce and for more offers to pour in. — Dustin Levy, The News-Press

Gainesville: Buchholz RB Quinton Cutler

Last season, Cutler was certainly no slouch on a Buchholz squad that advanced to the 4S state semifinals, with over 1,000 yards rushing, over 350 yards receiving and 12 TDs. He was second on the team in rushing behind QB Creed Whittemore, who graduated and headed to Mississippi State. With sophomore Trace Johnson under center this season, the 5'8" 155 pound Culter will likely play a more prominent role in new head coach Chuck Bell's offense, one that averaged 26 points per game in 2022. — Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun

Jacksonville: First Coast WR Thomas Jackson

He's got the production (42 catches, 663 yards, nine touchdowns in 2022) and he's got the grades (listed with a GPA of 4.5). So it feels like only a matter of time before more recruiters discover the Buccaneers' elusive senior wideout, who helped First Coast to its first regional playoff berth since 2014. He's received several FBS and D-II offers since the end of spring. Jackson is among multiple seniors to watch on First Coast's offense, including QB Rodney Tisdale Jr. (Western Kentucky) and WR Jordan Anderson (Georgia Southern). — Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union

Miami: Central ATH Kaj Baker

With the nickname "Nitro," he is expected to possess impressive speed. He truly lives up to it. Baker embodies future Olympic-level speed and is a three-time Junior Olympic champion. He clocked an astonishing 10.38 seconds in the 100m and 20.89 seconds in the 200m in the 9th grade. Baker is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands at all times and a sticky corner for his size. A recent transfer to the nationally top-ranked program, Miami Central, will undoubtedly propel this prospect to the summit of the 2026 rankings. He currently holds seven offers. — Quinten Lambert, Special to the USA Today Network

Naples: Naples DB Ben Bouzi

Bouzi is expected to take on a larger role in the Naples secondary in his final season, taking over for Jonas Duclona (Wisconsin), Kerry Brown (Minnesota) and Thompson Defhommes (Presbyterian). Bouzi currently holds offers from 13 programs, headlined by Florida State, Louisville, Maryland, and Pitt. He finished with 25 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in 2022, making the Naples Daily News All-Area First Team Defense. — Alex Martin, Naples Daily News

Northeast Florida: Oakleaf OL Quory Ambrose

A member of the Times-Union's All-First Coast squad while at Jackson, Ambrose loves flattening defenders. He was credited with 57 pancake blocks in each of the last two seasons, and since moving to Oakleaf in the summer, he's impressed at events like the Jaguars Prep Lineman Challenge. The 6-1, 280-pound lineman has begun to pick up offers over the summer and could be poised to take off with a good 2023. — Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union

Northwest Florida: Choctaw WR Issac Thomas

The Big Green watched Jayce Brown and his 925 receiving yards and four touchdowns depart to Kansas State in the offseason. As if someone could fill that void, in transferred Crestview's Issac Thomas, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound playmaker who delivered 39 catches for 700 yards and a pair of touchdowns last year for the Sweet 16 Dawgs. With a proven star in Jesse Winslette feeding Thomas the rock and tailback Cole Tabb returning after nabbing the 3S Player of the Year honors, the senior will be a matchup nightmare and could approach 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. Currently offered by Valdosta State, expect the bigger offers to trickle in. — Seth Stringer, NWF Daily News

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Orlando: Wekiva QB Ty’Ray Davis

Davis isn’t an unknown. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback is heading into his third season as the Mustangs starter and is committed to North Carolina A&T. But considering the way Davis has progressed over the past 12 months, including a standout performance against Seminole in the spring game and a strong summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see FBS programs come calling.

Palm Beach: Palm Beach Central WR Nedrick Boldin

The final four Broncos now hosting Class of 2025 four-star receiver transfers Kamare Williams and Waden Charles, at first glance, it seems the 2024 recruit could be pushed to the backburner on the roster. Yet, Boldin was the unsung hero of Central's senior-led receiver room last fall, posting 444 yards of 31 catches for six touchdowns, including a season-high five catches for six against Apopka in the Class 4M state semifinals. According to Central coach Kevin Thompson, a 5-foot-11 stature has stunted Boldin's recruitment, but coming from the bloodline of NFL Hall of Fame semifinalist and Muck star Anquan Boldin, he's got a toughness that'll make every college coach see a "mini Deebo Samuel" when they come to recruit the Broncos who shine on paper in the fall. — Emilee Smarr, Palm Beach Post

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Pensacola: Battle Alberson, QB, Gulf Breeze

Alberson has been a durable, consistent starter for the Dolphins, taking over the reigns at the start of his sophomore season. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback has started 21 games over the past two years, completing 58 percent of his passes for 3,688 yards, 37 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. Installing an air raid attack, new Gulf Breeze head coach Jeff Gierke believes the quarterback might surpass his career passing total this year.

“I think Battle Alberson will break every passing record in this area. He’s got a chance to throw for 4,000 yards in this offense if he stays healthy,” Gierke said.

The expectations may be lofty, especially in an area with several dynamite defenses, but in an offense that plans to air it out and snap the ball at a break-neck pace, expect Alberson's numbers to climb, or potentially skyrocket. And if that's the case, he will be on the radar of a few colleges. — Patrick Bernadeau, Pensacola News Journal

St. Augustine: Bartram Trail DB Julian Porter

Never overlook a Bartram Trail defense loaded with battle-tested seniors ready to step into the spotlight, like linebackers Caden Baldwin and Mike Matos. For Porter, the offers are mounting, including one from Army, even though he's a near-total newcomer to the position. He played running back until switching in spring to the secondary, where his effort has drawn glowing reviews. If he adapts well to DB in live play, watch out: With 6-1 height, improved speed and the chance to hone his technique at a school that's developed Sharif Denson and Tre'Vez Johnson in recent years, the recruiting energy could pick up fast. — Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union

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Space Coast: Cocoa LB Dai'veon Parham

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Cocoa outside linebacker has a championship ring and big stats but not a tremendous amount of recruiting attention so far. He made 104 tackles for the Class 2S state champions last season, 73 of those solo efforts and 11.5 behind the line of scrimmage. In the state final against Florida High, he recorded 18 tackles and added half a sack. — Brian McCallum, FLORIDA TODAY

Tampa-St. Petersburg: Hillsborough RB Jacquez Gibson

If 2022 is any indication, Gibson should get plenty of chances to showcase his abilities this season. He led Hillsborough in rushing yards (942), rushing touchdowns (10), receptions (22) and was second in receiving yards (280) and receiving touchdowns (1). In addition to his vision, speed and ability to make defenders miss in the open field, Gibson also is a solid kick returner who scored on both a kick and punt return last season. Playing against Armwood, Gaither, Tampa Bay Tech, Jesuit and Wharton will allow the former USF commit to impress against stout defenses. — Jon Santucci, USA Today Florida Network

Treasure Coast: Jemar Paul, Fort Pierce Central WR

A strong summer for Paul on the 7-on-7 circuits netted him his first offer from Keiser but there should be more schools on the lookout soon. At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Paul can stretch the field but also make tacklers miss in the open field and will assuredly be the Cobras' go-to option in the offense. Last season, Paul caught 33 passes, had 714 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns and in the spring game against Inlet Grove caught 10 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.— Bryan Cooney, Treasure Coast Newspapers

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida high school football recruiting: Players poised to rise in 2023