Florida high school football recruiting: 10 players to watch in early signing period

Part of what makes the early signing period so much fun is the drama.

After years of being recruited and (potentially) months of being committed, where will 17-and 18-year-old high school football players actually sign?

Most of the class of 2024 has been locked in for a while. Only three of the top 35 players on the USA Today Florida Network top 100 — Mainland defensive back Zavier Mincey, Carrollwood Day edge rusher Solomon Williams and Benjamin athlete Amaree Williams — remain uncommitted.

Of course, just because a player is committed to a school doesn't mean that's where they'll be signing on Wednesday.

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Here's a look at 10 players to watch during the early signing period.

Jeremiah Smith (Chaminade-Madonna WR)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 1

Smith said in August that he would keep his recruitment open until Dec. 20 and he's done just that. The nation's top player has been committed to Ohio State for more than a year, but the Buckeyes have a lot of competition. Florida State, Miami and Florida all have been pushing hard to keep Smith in state. For what it's worth (if anything), Smith wore Florida State gloves during the first half of the Class 1M championship with coaches from all four schools in attendance.

LJ McCray (Mainland EDGE/DL)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 4

McCray committed to Florida in October, picking the Gators over Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Miami. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound McCray hasn't given Gators fans much reason to doubt, but this one won't feel comfortable until he puts pen to paper. McCray did in-home visits with Florida and Florida State last week.

Florida commit LJ McCray "still locked in" with Gators after state title with Mainland

Armondo Blount (Miami Central DL/EDGE)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 8

Blount has been back and forth since he reclassified to the 2024 class in September. He initially said he was staying home and committed to Miami, then flipped to Florida State a few weeks later. Rumors he was strongly considering flipping back to Miami didn't get any quieter last week when Blount took an official visit to the Hurricanes and posted a picture of himself making the "U" sign.

Adarius Hayes (Largo LB)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 10

The longtime Gators commit hasn't really been seen as a potential flip until this past week when he decided to take an official visit to Miami. Maybe we're reading into it, but it is worth noting when a commit visits another school in mid-December. Wherever he ends up, it will be big. Pairing Hayes and Myles Graham at Florida would give the Gators the state's top two linebackers. Adding Hayes to Miami's class would give the Hurricanes another elite front seven impact player.

Zavier Mincey (Mainland DB)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 11

Mincey plans to sign on Wednesday, but we won't know his decision until he announces on Jan. 6 at the All-American Bowl. Still, the big defensive back is one of the top recruits in the nation and will make one of his four finalists extremely happy. Mincey narrowed his list to Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Miami and said after winning the Class 3S state championship on Dec. t7 hat he finally had time to focus on his decision.

Solomon Williams (Carrollwood Day EDGE)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 18

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Williams emerged as one of the premier edge rushers in the nation during the past nine months. He has Alabama, Clemson, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M in his top schools. He hosted Alabama coach Nick Saban for an in-home visit last week.

Amaree Williams (Benjamin ATH)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 21

Williams is one of the most intriguing players in the 2024 class, primarily because he just officially joined the class. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder officially announced his plan to reclassify earlier this month and is expected to sign in February. He took an official visit to Florida State this past weekend. Some of his other offers include Alabama, Georgia, Miami and Michigan. It will be interesting to see how Wednesday's decisions impact Williams, who most likely will play edge rusher/outside linebacker or tight end at the next level.

Benjamin football star prospect Amaree Williams reclassifies to Class of 2024

Jordan Lyle (St. Thomas Aquinas RB)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 25

Lyle's recruitment looks unbelievably similar to Mark Fletcher Jr.'s recruitment last year, with one exception: Lyle still is committed to Ohio State. A year ago, Fletcher was committed to the Buckeyes for eight months but decommitted approximately a month before the early signing period and ended up committing to the Hurricanes. Lyle committed to Ohio State in late April, but the Hurricanes have been making a strong push and are seen by many as the favorite heading into Wednesday.

Editor's note: Lyle flipped to Miami on Monday night.

Recruiting: Aquinas RB Lyle taking things "day-by-day" heading into early signing period

Anthony Carrie (Carrollwood Day RB)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 38

Carrie was committed to Michigan State for months but decommitted in late November. Now, the 6-foot, 199-pound back appears to be focused on five schools: Georgia Tech, Michigan State, N.C. State, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Carrie has taken official visits to Texas A&M and Georgia Tech this month.

Cedrick Bailey (Chaminade-Madonna QB)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 60

Bailey committed to NC State on March 13 and reaffirmed his decision with a short post on X earlier this month. Miami has made a late push, offering in November and doing an in-home visit with Bailey in December. The Wolfpack appear to be in the driver's seat, but it could be tempting for Bailey to join teammates Zaquan Patterson and Joshisa Trader in Coral Gables.

Class 1M: Chaminade-Madonna QB Cedrick Bailey puts on a show in championship

Greg Smith III (Sumner ATH)

USA Today Florida Newtork rank: 73

Smith saw his recruiting take off in early October when he picked up 10 Power 5 offers in a 17-day period. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Smith played quarterback and defensive back for a Sumner team that reached the regional championship game this season. Smith has taken official visits to Florida and Vanderbilt in December.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida football recruiting: 10 players to watch in early signing period