FHSAA football state championships, the top recruits playing for title
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Malachi Toney's last high school football game — the 2024 FHSAA Class 4A state championship game — was a masterpiece.
Toney, now a freshman All-American wide receiver for the Miami Hurricanes, was forced to play quarterback for American Heritage against Jones last season and responded with a perfect performance for three quarters.
Toney was one of several top recruits — along with West Boca's Jamar Thompson, American Heritage's Byron Louis and Cocoa's Jayvan Boggs — who starred on the biggest stage.
The FHSAA Football state championship games are Dec. 10-13 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Here are some of the top recruits to watch during the title games:
Class 7A: Vero Beach vs. Lake Mary
Vero Beach 2028 QB Champ Monds
Monds is ranked by On3 as the No. 1 sophomore quarterback recruit in the nation but has dealt with ankle and shoulder injuries this season.
Vero Beach 2026 OL Champ Smith
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 24
Smith, a four-star offensive lineman, flipped from UCLA to Illinois on the first day of the early signing period.
Lake Mary 2026 QB Noah Grubbs
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 44
Grubbs, a Notre Dame signee, has thrown for 11,189 yards and 140 touchdowns during his 52-game high school career.
Vero Beach 2026 ATH Efrem White
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 54
White, a Florida State signee, has thrown for 2,502 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushed 978 yards and 21 touchdowns this season.
Vero Beach 2026 S/LB Jordan Crutchfield
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 55
Crutchfield, a Florida State commit, has 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, five passes broken up and one forced fumble this season.
Vero Beach 2026 WR Xavier Stinson
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 66
Stinson, an Iowa commit, has 41 catches for a team-best 645 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Class 6A: West Boca vs. West Broward
West Broward 2028 CB A'mir Sears
Sears, a five-star recruit, has caught 42 passes for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 50 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes broken up.
West Boca 2027 DL Jamar Thompson
Thompson, a four-star recruit, has 38 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks and three passes defended this season.
West Boca 2026 CB Jaydin Broadnax
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 35
Broadnax, a Louisville signee, has 33 tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions and three passes defended this season.
West Boca 2026 RB Javian Mallory
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 36
Mallory, a Miami signee, has rushed for 4,356 yards and 53 touchdowns and caught 14 touchdown passes in his 47-game career.
West Boca 2027 S Damari Jerry
Jerry, a three-star recruit, has 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries this season.
West Broward 2027 RB Amos Bradford
Bradford, a Toledo commit, has rushed for 832 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Class 5A: St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Lakeland
St. Thomas Aquinas 2027 OT Mark Matthews
Matthews, a five-star recruit, has offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others.
St. Thomas Aquinas 2026 CB Justice Fitzpatrick
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 8
Fitpatrick, a Georgia signee, has 15 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble this season. He suffered a leg injury in the state semifinal game.
St. Thomas Aquinas 2027 WR Julius Jones
Jones, a four-star recruit, leads Aquinas with 51 catches for 750 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
St. Thomas Aquinas 2027 S Zayden Gamble
Gamble, a four-star recruit, has 59 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and four passes defended this season.
Lakeland 2026 LB Malik Morris
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 32
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Morris signed with Florida during the early signing period.
Lakeland 2027 EDGE/DL Santana Harvey
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Harvey is a four-star recruit with offers from Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and others.
St. Thomas Aquinas EDGE Daniel Norman
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 71
Norman, an Oklahoma signee, has 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 11 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles this season.
Lakeland 2026 S CJ Cresser
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 78
The 6-foot, 200-pound Cresser signed with USF during the early signing period.
Class 4A: Jones vs. American Heritage
American Heritage 2026 QB Dia Bell
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 1
Bell, a Texas signee, threw for 540 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards in three games. He had a season-ending medical procedure.
Jones 2027 EDGE Fred Ards
Ards, a four-star recruit, had 66 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and a forced fumble this season.
Jones 2026 QB Dereon Coleman
USA Today Florida Network rank: No. 29
Jones, a Miami signee, has thrown for 2,669 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushed for 604 yards and four touchdowns this season.
American Heritage 2027 CB Amare Nugent
Nugent, a four-star recruit, has 23 tackles, a sack, two interceptions and two passes defended this season.
Jones 2026 WR Larry Miles
USA Today Florida Network rank: No. 43
Miles, a Nebraska signee, has caught a team-best 87 passes for 1,049 and nine touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns this season.
American Heritage 2026 WR Brandon Bennett
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 51
Bennett, a Florida State signee, has 11 catches for 300 yards (27.3 yards per catch) and two touchdowns this season.
Jones 2026 OT Xavier Payne
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 79
The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Payne signed with Colorado during the early signing period.
American Heritage 2026 WR Jeffar Jean-Noel
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 82
Noel, a Georgia Tech signee, has 57 catches for 795 yards and six touchdowns this season.
American Heritage 2026 LB Kymani Morales
Morales, a Georgia Tech commit, has 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks,
Class 3A: Miami Northwestern vs. Raines
Miami Northwestern 2026 WR Calvin Russell
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 4
Russell a Syracuse signee, caught 32 passes for 517 yards and seven touchdowns through the first nine games of the season.
Miami Northwestern 2027 WR Nick Lennear
Lennear, a four-star recruit, caught 20 passes for 381 yards and seven touchdowns through the first seven games of the season.
Miami Northwestern 2028 QB Neimann Lawerence
Lawrence, a five-star recruit, threw for 1,971 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown through the first 10 games of the season.
Miami Northwestern 2026 EDGE Jordan Campbell
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 16
Campbell, a Miami signee, had 24 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble through the first six games this season.
Miami Northwestern 2026 S Tedarius Hughes
USA Today Florida Network rank: No. 42
Hughes, a Syracuse signee, had 30 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, six passes defended and a fumble recovery through the first nine games of the season.
Raines 2026 LB Tony Williams
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 93
Williams, an Illinois signee, had 51 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries through the first 11 games of the season.
Raines 2026 WR Kelvin Brown
Brown, a Boston College signee, had 24 catches for 453 yards and eight touchdowns through the first 10 games of the season.
Class 2A: Cardinal Mooney vs. Bolles
Bolles 2026 WR Naeem Burroughs
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 7
Burroughs, a Clemson signee, has 48 catches for 1,151 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.
Bolles 2026 LB/S Simeon Caldwell
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 18
Caldwell, an Ohio State signee, has 99 tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, four passes defended and two fumble recoveries this season.
Cardinal Mooney 2026 DL Elijah Golden
USA Today Florida Network rank: No. 21
Golden, a Notre Dame signee, has 67 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 38 quarterback hurries and two passes defended this season.
Bolles 2028 EDGE Asher Ghioto
Ghioto, a four-star recruit, has 79 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, 22 quarterback hurries and two passes defended this season.
Bolles 2026 TE Corbyn Fordham
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 57
Fordham, a Florida State signee, has 26 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Cardinal Mooney 2026 WR Kymistrii Young
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 96
Young, a North Carolina signee, leads the Cougars with 42 catches for 936 yards and eight touchdowns.
Bolles 2026 IOL JJ Sparks
Sparks, a three-star recruit, signed with Miami during the early signing period.
Class 1A
Chaminade-Madonna 2026 RB Derrek Cooper
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 6
Cooper, a Texas signee, has 1,424 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns and caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown this season.
Chaminade-Madonna 2026 WR Jasen Lopez
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 37
Lopez, a Florida State signee, has 59 catches for 1,110 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
Chaminade-Madonna 2026 WR Denairius Gray
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 65
Gray, a Kentucky signee, has 22 catches for 316 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Cardinal Newman 2026 LB Adam Balogoun-Ali
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 67
Balogoun-Ali, an Auburn signee, has 116 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, three sacks, two passes defended, an interception and a fumble recovery this season.
Chaminade-Madonna 2027 S Angelo Smith
Smith, an Ohio State commit, has 52 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven passes defended and a fumble recovery this season.
Cardinal Newman 2026 QB/ATH Jyron Hughley
USA TODAY Florida Network rank: No. 99
Hughley, a West Virginia signee, has thrown for 1,901 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Chaminade-Madonna 2027 RB Arwin Jackson
Jackson, a three-star recruit, has 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and one receiving touchdown this season.
Cardinal Newman 2026 OT Brayden Charney
Charney, a three-star recruit, signed with Syracuse during the early signing period.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA football state championships, top recruits to watch
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