Florida high school football: These are the top recruiting matchups in state semifinals

One of the state's top young receiver groups will face off against arguably Florida's most talented secondary with a tip to the state championship game on the line.

Monarch (11-2) hosts Mandarin (10-3) in a Class 4M semifinal on Friday. Both teams have rosters loaded with elite college talent, but the biggest matchups will be between the Knights' receivers and the Mustangs' defensive backs.

Monarch quarterback A.J. Hairston (UMass commit) is averaging better than 270 yards per game and 22.5 yards per completion throwing to a group of receivers led by Jabari Brady and Samari Reed.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Brady is one of the nation's top sophomore recruits and already has offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and others. He leads the Knights with 63 catches and 1,241 yards and is second with nine touchdowns.

Reed, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior, has been offered by Florida, Florida State, Miami, Penn State, Pitt, Texas A&M and others. He's caught 50 passes for 1,196 yards and leads Monarch with 14 touchdown catches.

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Mandarin counters with a pair of Penn State commits — cornerbacks Jon Mitchell and Antonie Belgrave-Shorter — and Drake Stubbs, one of the top safeties in the Class of 2025.

Mitchell (6-foot, 180 pounds) has 61 tackles, leads the Mustangs with 14 passes broken up and is third on the team with three interceptions. Belgrave-Shorter (6-foot, 175 pounds) has 58 tackles, seven passes broken up and is tied for the team lead with four interceptions.

Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and USC are among the schools to offer the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Stubbs. He has 82 tackles, six passes broken up, four interceptions and is tied for second on the team in both forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.

Here are some of the other potential individual matchups featuring top recruits to watch in the state semifinals.

Bolles 2026 WR Naeem Burroughs vs. Norland 2024 CB Jamari Howard

(Class 2M: No. 4 Bolles at No. 1 Norland)

Burroughs (6-foot, 170 pounds) has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan and others. He has 44 catches for 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns. Howard (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) is committed to Florida State. He has 38 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one interception.

Florida high school football: Class 2M state semifinal preview

St. Thomas Aquinas 2024 WR Chance Robinson vs. Gaither 2024 DB Andrew Brinson

(Class 3M: No. 4 Gaither at No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas)

Robinson (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) is committed to Miami. He has 34 catches for 473 yards and 11 touchdowns. Brinson (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) recently decommitted from Oregon State and has offers from Louisville, Michigan State, UCF and others. He has 29 tackles and two passes defended.

Florida high school football: Class 3M state semifinal preview

Homestead 2024 RB Isaac Brown vs. Jones 2024 DL D’antre Robinson

(Class 3M: No. 3 Jones at No. 2 Homestead)

Brown (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) is committed to Louisville. Robinson (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) is committed to Texas. He has 73 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.

Vanguard 2024 QB/ATH Fred Gaskin III vs. Mainland 2024 DL LJ McCray

(Class 3S: No. 3 Vanguard at No. 2 Mainland)

Gaskin (5-foot-11, 174 pounds) is committed to USF. He has 1,973 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, 575 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. McCray (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) is committed to Florida. He has 67 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and two passes defended.

Florida high school football football: Class 3S state semifinal preview

American Heritage (Plantation) 2026 WR Malachi Toney vs. Berkeley Prep 2025 DB Dallas Golden

(Class 2M: No. 3 Berkeley Prep at No. 2 American Heritage)

Toney (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) is committed to Miami. He has 46 catches for 719 yards and eight touchdowns. Golden (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) has offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others. He has six tackles, five interceptions and three passes defended.

Trinity Christian 2024 QB Colin Hurley vs. Clearwater Central Catholic 2024 DB Andy Jaffe

(Class 1M: No. 3 Trinity Christian at No. 2 Clearwater Central Catholic)

Hurley (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) is committed to LSU. He has thrown for 1,997 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 67 yards and three touchdowns. Jaffe (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) is committed to Ole Miss. He has 75 tackles, four passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Florida high school football: Class 1M state semifinal preview

Lakeland 2024 RB D’Marius Rucker vs. Buchholz 2024 DL Kendall Jackson

(Class 4S: No. 4 Lakeland at No. 1 Buchholz)

Rucker (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) has offers from Coastal Carolina, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, USF and others. He has 575 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Jackson (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) is committed to Florida. He has 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and three passes defended.

Florida high school football: Class 4S state semifinal preview

Cocoa 2025 WR Jayvan Boggs vs. Booker 2026 ATH Karaijus Hayes

(Class 2S: No. 4 Booker at No. 1 Cocoa)

Boggs (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) is committed to Ohio State. He has 79 catches for 1,304 yards and 21 touchdowns. Hayes (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) has an offer from Miami. He has 46 tackles, five tackles for loss, four interceptions, eight passes defended and one fumble recovery.

Florida high school football football: Class 2S state semifinal preview

Pensacola Catholic 2025 RB CJ Nettles vs. Bradford 2024 LB Chason Clark

(Class 2S: No. 3 Pensacola Catholic at No. 2 Bradford)

Nettles (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) has offers from FAU, Liberty Louisville, Miami (Ohio) and others. He has 853 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns and 152 receiving yards. Clark (6-foot-2, 197 pounds) is committed to Marshall. He had 86 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Hawthorne 2024 WR Alvon Issac vs. Blountstown 2024 S Jordan Pride

(Class 1R: No. 4 Blountstown vs. No. 1 Hawthorne)

Isaac (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) is committed to USF. He has 43 catches for 882 yards and 15 touchdowns. Pride (6-foot-3, 180 pounds) is committed to Texas A&M. He has 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception and six passes defended.

Florida high school football: Class 1R state semifinal preview

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Monarch's WRs vs. Mandarin's DBs among top matchups in state semis