Recruiting: West Boca Raton's Mallory cousins share special connection, college dreams

BOCA RATON — Somehow, Mason Mallory just knew where Javian Mallory would be.

In West Boca's Week 8 against Coconut Creek last season, Mason, the Bulls' quarterback, was under heavy pressure. As he remembers it, he was "scrambling for my life," just hoping to make something happen. That's when he lofted a pass to Javian.

"He went from blocking to being a check down for me and he turned it into like a 65-yard touchdown," Mason recalled. "I knew he was there. I gave him a chance to make a play and he did."

Mason and Javian aren't brothers, but the cousins are very close. Neither has a brother — each has one sister — so their bond is about as close as it gets to brotherhood.

And when the rising junior duo is together in West Boca's backfield — Javian is one of the nation's premier running backs in the 2026 class — it's like having a built-in cheat code.

"It's kind of like we're just connected," said Mason, who is six months older than Javian "It's different having a family member back there that you can just talk normally about what you see on the field, what you want to implement in practice. He's a great help, especially at his skill set."

2025 USA Today Top 100: Who are the top rising senior football recruits in Florida?

Recruiting: Talented 2025 WR Naeshaun Montgomery fitting in well at Miami Central

FHSAA board set to discuss adding language to bylaws to allow NIL

Twice a week during the season. the two go out to the field by themselves in the morning to get in extra work.

"Him throwing me passes, creating different signals. So, when it's game time, we have that special connection and we know what to do," Javian said. "We barely talk (during games). We always know what to do.

"It's definitely special. We have a different type of relationship than all the other backfields in South Florida, or Florida, really. Growing up together, playing football and sports together. Just being able to come out here and play the sport we love together is a blessing."

The Mallorys headline a talented group of rising juniors and sophomores that has made West Boca a prime destination for college coaches this spring.

'What Javian has is very rare'

At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Javian is blessed with breakaway speed and good hands. He has the ability to run through a linebacker or just make him miss in the hole.

Last season, he rushed for 1,415 yards on just 131 carries (10.8 yards per carry) with 18 rushing scores. He added another 438 yards on 22 catches and scored six receiving touchdowns.

West Boca coach Dylan Potts said Javian would be just as big a recruit if he played wide receiver or safety because of his body and skill set.

If one play shows both Javian's skill set and his teammates' unwavering belief in those abilities, it would be his touchdown run against Atlantic in the playoffs. Shortly after Javian got past the defensive line, multiple Bulls players started to raise their hands to signal touchdown. Never mind the fact that he still had more than 20 yards to go to the end zone, had to break two more tackles and star Atlantic linebacker Jayden Parrish, now at Florida State, was in pursuit.

Of course, Javian scored.

"We know every time (No.) 3 touches the ball it has a chance to go for a touchdown," Potts said. "If he gets to the second level, there are very few kids in the country I believe are going to bring him down. What Javian has is very rare. People say, 'Oh he's a big back, he's just going to run people over.' He runs away from a lot of people. That's what separates him."

Javian has been the Pied Piper who is drawing colleges to West Boca. Within the first few minutes of Thursday's practice, coaches from Clemson, West Virginia and Syracuse were watching him go through warmups.

He says it's too early to have a list of top schools, but rattled off a list of who's who when asked what schools interest him.

"I really can say Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, Penn State, Michigan, Syracuse, Florida State," Javian said. "All of the schools really show a lot of love. It's hard to narrow down a list so early. I'm still building these relationships, just trying to see who I like and feeling out these coaches.

"Growing up, I've been training for this my whole life. I had a vision. I envisioned myself being in the position I am today. Being able to come out here and live it out is a blessing."

'Mason has taken the next step this offseason'

Mason says he has to remind Javian that he's the older cousin on a daily basis, but he doesn't mind the fact that his younger cousin is drawing coaches to campus.

"A lot of coaches are seeing me get bigger, faster, stronger, all that," Mason said. "A lot of coaches will come down to talk to Javian, they'll see me come out and look good and I'm on their radar."

Mason has picked up seven offers, including Indiana, Pitt, USF and FAU.

What coaches see is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound lefty who shows great touch on his passes and rarely puts the ball where it can get intercepted. In two years as the Bulls' starter, he's completed 56.9% of his passes for 3,254 yards, 45 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.

"Mason does one thing better than a lot of other people: He takes care of the ball," Potts said. "He doesn't turn it over. When we have a dominant running game, like I think we do, and have as good of a defense as we do, he really just takes care of the ball and doesn't put us in bad situations."

In addition to his physical growth this offseason, Mason also has become more of a leader. It makes for a skill set that has Potts very excited.

"He throws the ball with such touch and anticipation," Potts said. "It's always one of things you talk about as a quarterback. Yeah, you can throw the ball 80 yards but you're throwing a 5-yard shallow through his chest. He throws everything with such touch and it's such a pretty ball. But Mason has taken the next step this offseason in his maturity and his leadership.

"He's where I thought he would be after his first two years."

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Javian Mallory, Mason Mallory recruiting: Cousins share special connection