PNJ Most Underrated: Overlooked Pensacola-area football players set to shine in 2023
Over the past two years, the Pensacola News Journal has put a spotlight on the football players from in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties that rarely appear in the headlines.
In a landscape where big-time college offers and eye-catching stats get most of the hype, this list places the shine on a plethora of starters, contributors and underrecruited playmakers that hold immense valuable to their team.
Welcome to the PNJ's Most Underrated list for the 2023 season.
However, unlike previous years where the collection of talent named were determined by the PNJ staff, this year's edition has a bit of a twist, as coaches were asked which player on their respective team may be flying under the radar.
Kickoff Classic: Milton's run game proves to be vital in preseason victory over Pensacola
Kickoff Classic: Marquez Jones scores four times in West Florida's preseason win at Navarre
Last year, 11 players featured on the Most Underrated list eventually earned a spot on the 2022 PNJ All-Area First or Second Team.
As for this year's edition of the Most Underrated, only one player was an All-Area selection while a few others were named to the All-Area Honorable Mentions. It also excludes players from Monday's Top Prospects list and those chosen as 2023 Super Seniors, which will be released later this week.
Now, without further ado, here are the picks made by coaches.
Booker T. Washington - Connor Johnson, OL, Sr.
Size: 5-foot-9, 250 pounds
2022 stats: N/A
Wildcats head coach Ryan Onkka: “He’s not the biggest. He’s not the biggest, he’s probably all of 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9, 250 pounds, but he works really hard and is the heart and soul of not only the offensive line, but really the offense in general. Connor keeps us going. He started about half of the games last year, but was selected to be a captain and a leader on our team this year.”
Escambia - Dorrion Brooks, RB, Jr.
Size: 6-foot, 197 pounds
2022 stats: 96 carries, 569 rushing yards, 3 catches, 33 receiving yards, 9 total TDs
Gators head coach Mike Bennett: “I think Dorrion Brooks is one of the top running backs in the state of Florida in the junior class. He’s 5-foot-11, 200 pounds and hard to bring down. We just have to get him to some camps and he’s got to have a good year, but I think Dorrion Brooks is really under the radar”
Gators team preview: Veteran defense and promising offense has Escambia geared for another winning season in 2023
Gulf Breeze - Shamane Walker, DL, Sr.
Size: 5-foot-6, 235 pounds
2022 stats: 68 tackles (11 tackles for loss), 2.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, TD
Dolphins head coach Jeff Gierke: “I would say Shamane Walker. It's because he’s undersized, but he is absolutely unblockable. He’s a leader, he’s one of the toughest kids on the team. He never misses, he’s consistent and he’s the 'rah, rah' guy. If he was 6-foot, he’d have a bunch of offers. Still, he’s a very good football player.”
Jay - Brock Stout, RB/LB, Sr.
Size: N/A
2022 stats: 79 carries, 314 rushing yards, 6 catches, 129 receiving yards, 2 total TDs
Royals head coach Brian Watson: “We were in the Wing-T last year with a fullback-heavy run game, but he started for us at tailback and I think we’re going to feature him a little bit more this year. He’s going to play both ways for us. His value to us is that we can do things because of him.”
Milton - Tommy Walker, OL, Sr.
Size: N/A
2022 stats: N/A
Panthers head coach Kelly Gillis: “Although he is the only returning starter up front for us, he has accepted playing a new position on the offensive line. He has become the leader on that side, while being undersized for his position. Tommy is a great kid with great work ethic and leadership.”
Navarre - Charlie Cottrell, OL, Sr.
Size: 6-foot, 240 pounds
2022 stats: N/A
Raiders head coach Jay Walls: “(Offensive linemen) don’t really get any attention or the recognition that they deserve because of the position that they play. Whenever there’s a great run or really big play with a great pass, nobody sees the block that was made to help that run or protection for the quarterback to make that throw. Charlie has played really, really good football at center and did a great job last year. His sophomore year, he would’ve been a starter for us, but he had an injury that he dealt with that kept him from starting for us. But he would probably be the guy that’s most underrated.”
Northview - Jarrett Bodiford, CB/QB, Sr.
Size: 6-foot, 155 pounds
2022 stats: 11 tackles
Chiefs head coach Wes Summerford: "He makes the plays that come to him and he’s going to do everything the coaches ask and he’s going to do it the right way. He has excellent technique. … He’ll play our nickel position and he’ll also play some slot on offense because he’s an excellent blocker as well.”
Pace - Ben Tyner, RB, Jr.
Size: 5-foot-9, 180 pounds
2022 stats: 121 carries, 707 rushing yards, 3 catches, 67 receiving yards, 7 total TDs
Patriots head coach Kent Smith: “Our tailback Ben Tyner is a great kid and has done a great job. He’s going to have a great year.”
Preseason Football roundup: Pace takes down Catholic in lower-scoring, defensive battle
Pensacola - De’andre Barr, WR/CB, Jr.
Size: 5-foot-10, 165 pounds
2022 stats: 5 catches, 52 receiving yards.
Tigers head coach Cantrell Tyson: “He’s a kid that missed five games, but when he came back, he was a kid that was helpful for us. I tell people all the time that he really is the best route runner that I’ve coached in my nine years of coaching and I’ve only seen him in a few games last year and at practice. I think a lot of people don’t know about him because of the fact that he was out for so much time, but I really do believe that he will be that guy for us and take that next step this year.”
Pensacola Catholic - Courtney Clark, DL/LB, Sr.
Size: 6-foot, 230 pounds
2022 stats: 38 tackles (5.0 tackles for loss), 4 sacks, 2 passes defended
Crusaders head coach Matt Adams: “We’ve got many kids with Division I offers, so he often gets overlooked, but Courtney is one of our more productive players and I expect him to play well his senior season. He’s a great leader with great knowledge. He’s a great teammate and he’s great to coach.”
Pine Forest - Rocsavian McWilliams, DL, Sr.
Size: 6-foot, 285 pounds
2022 stats: 45 tackles (4 tackles for loss), 1 sack, 1 pass defended
Eagles head coach Tony Carter: “In my opinion, I think he’s one of the best defensive tackles in the Panhandle. He’s definitely got Division I talent. He’s probably an itch or two too short to be a Power 5 guy, but he’s strong, he’s a presence in the middle with violent hands and a good get-off on the ball. He’s got good film. I think the biggest thing that keeps him from being one of the bigger names is that he’s not 6-2 or 6-3. He comes to work everyday, he comes to workouts everyday unless he is sick. He’s pretty quiet, he’s not a 'rah, rah' guy that pounds on his chest, but he’s a good teammate. He works hard in the weight room, he works hard at practice and just does everything right and is one of those guys that you root for.”
Tate - Clayton Philley, DB/LB, Sr.
Size: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
2022 stats: 10 tackles (6 tackles for loss), 5 sacks, 2 passes defended
Aggies head coach Rhett Summerford: “Clayton Philley is a guy that has come through the program and during freshman, sophomore and junior years, he really didn’t have a lot of playing time. But he stayed with it, worked hard in the weight room and is going to be a starter for us in the secondary. He’s really an outside linebacker, but he’s a leader of the program. He’s a Tate guy, believes in Tate and has just worked himself into a good player. A lot of times, guys like Andre (Colston) and Christian (Neptune) are the headline guys, but when you win big ball games, it comes down to the guys that aren’t the headline guys that will make big plays. And I think Clayton fills that role.”
Football's Back: Tate shows new 'brand' of football in Kickoff Classic against Washington
West Florida - Colby Hoffman, LB/OL, Sr.
Size: 5-foot-10, 205 pounds
2022 stats: 2 tackles
Jaguars head coach Harry Lees: “The kid is playing linebacker for us, he can play inside or outside (linebacker). Last year, he actually started at guard for us during the season because we did not have a lot of offensive linemen. If you see Colby, you’d say there’s no way he’s an offensive lineman, but he’s a tough kid, he can actually run and for a time he was probably the fastest offensive lineman in the area. He’s a kid with a 4.0 GPA and he’s a guy that really does so many things well; he’s going to show up, be in the right spot and do what he needs to do. And because of that, he’s kind of the glue of the team.”
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Football: Which Pensacola-area football players are most underrated?
