Recruiting: Bates scores TD in Edgewater's 24-7 win against Osceola
ORLANDO — Cai Bates didn’t expect to see the ball thrown his way too often in Wednesday night’s spring game against Kissimmee-Osceola.
The combination of the Edgewater rising senior being one of the best cornerbacks in the nation — he’s ranked No. 15 overall and the No. 3 overall cornerback in the state on the USA Today Florida Network top 100 — and Osceola having a top running back meant Bates wouldn’t see too much action.
That’s exactly how it went in Edgewater’s 24-7 win. Osceola didn’t throw in Bates’ direction, but he did have a 4-yard touchdown catch on offense.
“I didn’t get bored,” Bates said with a smile. “There was a few times, ‘Can I please get the ball thrown my way? Please?’ But (Osceola running back) Taevion Swint, we play together on the same 7-on-7 team, so I respect him a lot. It’s kind of the situation we had with CJ. (Baxter in 2022.) You want to get the ball in his hands a lot. I knew coming in I was going to be out there on an island.
“But I got in on offense. Got me a touchdown. It was fun. It was really good just to see how we’re coming into next season.”
The 6-foot-1½, 180-pound Bates has more than 30 Power 5 offers and plans to drop his top 10 list within the next week. He currently has official visits scheduled for Tennessee (June 16-18) and LSU (June 23-25). Bates also is considering taking official visits to Florida State and Maryland.
Recruiting notes
Swint, a UCF commit, scored the lone touchdown for the Kowboys in the third quarter. Swint had a handful of first down runs for Osceola, including a 23-yard scamper in the third quarter. He did not play in the fourth quarter.
Edgewater rising senior defensive lineman Josh Alexander-Felton and rising sophomore edge rusher Aiden Anderson both had tackles for loss in the second quarter. Anderson also forced a fumble that led to Edgewater’s second touchdown. Alexander-Felton has several Power 5 offers, including N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Iowa State and Maryland.
Osceola rising junior linebacker Elijah Melendez picked up an offer from Georgia on Wednesday morning and showed exactly why against Edgewater. Melendez had a couple big hits, including the opening kick of the second half. Later in the third quarter, Melendez bullied the lead blocker into the backfield and had a tackle for loss.
Edgewater rising senior running back Kaden Shields-Dutton scored a touchdown in the second quarter and set up another score with a long catch-and-run. Shields-Dutton is a big back (5-foot-11 215 pounds) and broke several tackles Wednesday. His offers include Central Michigan, FAU, Marshall and Western Kentucky.
Edgewater rising sophomore quarterback Michael Clayton, who picked up an offer from Pitt earlier this month, suffered an injury on a sack late in the first half and did not return in the second half. Clayton threw the ball well in the first half, including the touchdown pass to Bates.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Recruiting: Bates scores TD in Edgewater's 24-7 win against Osceola
