Two-Minute Drill: High school football games as well as Dolphins, Jaguars and Bucs
It’s one week of high school football preseason games, and the following week the regular season begins. The Bucs also face the Jaguars.
A full schedule of high school football games in the first week also means some of the best recruits in the country will be in action over the weekend.
The Broward County National High School Football Showcase features some of the top recruits in the country, including five-star wide receiver Derek Meadows (LSU freshman) of Bishop Gorman and five-star junior running back Derrek Cooper of Chaminade-Madonna.
The show also features some of the top quarterback recruits, such as Dia Bell (junior) of American Heritage (Texas commit), Noah Grubbs (junior) of Lake Mary (Notre Dame) and Luke Nickel (senior) of Milton (Georgia) (Miami).
The first weekend of the regular season also offers several exciting individual duels.
Here’s a look at some of the best potential pairings of elite recruits facing off in Week 1 to watch out for.
(Note: All rankings are composite rankings from 247Sports unless otherwise noted.)
Stream Florida high school football games on the NFHS Network
Corner Canyon 2025 WR Jerome Myles vs. IMG 2026 DB Zech Fort
Myles, a five-star recruit, is the top recruit in Utah and the seventh-best wide receiver in the nation. His top schools include Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M, USC and Utah. Fort is ranked 81st overall and the eighth-best safety in the class of 2026. His offers include Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
Armwood 2025 RB Girard Pringle vs. Gaither 2025 EDGE LaJesse Harrold
Pringle, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 26 in the USA Today Florida Network’s Top 100 and the 13th-ranked running back in the nation. He has committed to Miami. Harrold, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 19 in the USA Today Florida Network’s Top 100 and the 12th-ranked edge rusher in the nation. He has committed to LSU.
Watch Armwood RB Girard Pringle vs Gaither EDGE LaJesse Harrold
Jones 2025 WR Vernell Brown III vs. Winter Park 2026 DB Ayden Pouncey
Brown, a five-star recruit, is ranked No. 8 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 6 wide receiver in the nation. He has committed to Florida. Pouncey, a four-star recruit, is the No. 9 safety and No. 134 player in the nation in the class of 2026. His offers include Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oregon and Penn State.
Watch Jones WR Vernell Brown III vs. Winter Park DB Aiden Pouncey on Friday
West Boca 2026 RB Javian Mallory vs. Benjamin 2026 LB Adam Balogoun-Ali
Mallory, a four-star recruit, is the nation’s No. 14 running back in the class of 2026. His offers include Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC. Balogoun-Ali is the No. 7 linebacker and No. 113 overall recruit in the class of 2026. His offers include Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Milton 2025 WR CJ Wiley vs. American Heritage 2025 DB Zae Thomas
Wiley, a four-star recruit, is the No. 15 wide receiver and No. 108 player in the nation. He has committed to Florida State. Thomas, a four-star recruit, is No. 29 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 28 safety in the nation. He has committed to Florida State.
Miami Central 2025 WR Naeshaun Montgomery vs. Lakeland 2025 S Keon Young
Montgomery, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 35 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 18 wide receiver in the nation. His offers include Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Oregon and Penn State. Young, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 37 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 29 safety in the nation. He has committed to Ole Miss.
St. John Bosco WR Daniel Odom vs. Chaminade-Madonna 2025 CB Chris Ewald
Odom, a four-star recruit, is the No. 29 wide receiver and No. 162 overall player in the country. His offers include Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Texas. Ewald, a four-star recruit, is No. 24 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 23 overall recruit in the country. He has committed to Miami.
Venice 2025 WR Winston Watkins Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Tech 2025 CB Rukeem Stroud
Watkins, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 34 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the nation’s No. 29 wide receiver. His offers include Indiana, Ole Miss and South Carolina. Stroud, a four-star recruit, is ranked No. 45 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the nation’s No. 41 cornerback. He has committed to UCF.
Vero Beach 2026 ATH Efrem White vs Eau Gallie 2026 DB Xavier Lherisse
White, a four-star recruit, is the nation’s No. 5 athlete and No. 78 player in the class of 2026. He has committed to Florida State. Lherisse, a four-star recruit, is the nation’s No. 23 safety in the class of 2026. His offers include Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
Watch Vero Beach ATH Efrem White vs Eau Gallie DB Xavier Lherisse match on Friday.
Riverside 2025 WR Tea’shaun Gelsey vs. Oakleaf 2025 CB Kaylib Singleton
Gelsey, a four-star recruit, is No. 67 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 60 wide receiver in the nation. He has committed to Florida. Singleton, a three-star recruit, is No. 88 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100 and the No. 65 cornerback in the nation. He has committed to Rutgers.
Creekside 2026 QB Sean Ashenfelder vs. Mandarin 2025 S Hylton Stubbs
Ashenfelder has chosen Rutgers. Stubbs (No. 6 in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100) has chosen Miami.
Clearwater Central Catholic 2025 QB Jershaun Newton vs. Berkeley Prep DB Dallas Golden
Newton has chosen Illinois. Golden (ranked 13th in the USA Today Florida Network Top 100) has chosen Florida State.
Watch Clearwater Central Catholic QB Jershaun Newton vs. Berkeley Prep DB Dallas Golden
St. Thomas Aquinas 2025 RB Cedric Wyche II vs. Bishop Gorman 2026 DL James Carrington
Wyche has chosen Illinois. Carrington’s offers include Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and USC.
Lake Mary 2026 QB Noah Grubbs vs. Cardinal Gibbons 2025 DB Jonathan Rousseau
Grubbs is committed to Notre Dame; Rousseau is committed to Buffalo.
Watch Friday’s game between Lake Mary QB Noah Grubbs and Cardinal Gibbons DB Jonathan Rousseau
Peachtree Ridge 2025 QB Darnell Kelly vs. Monarch 2025 EDGE Romando Johnson
Kelly’s offers include Kentucky, Colorado State and Middle Tennessee. Johnson (No. 64 USA Today Florida Network Top 100) has chosen West Virginia.
Niceville 2026 IOL Jakobe Green vs. South Sumter LB Malakhi Boone
Green’s offers include Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss and USF. Boone (No. 83 USA Today Florida Network Top 100) has chosen UCF.
Santaluce’s 2025 WR Jamar Browder vs. Somerset Academy Canyon’s 2027 DB Damari Jerry
Browder has chosen NC State. Jerry’s offers include Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Syracuse and USF.
We occasionally recommend products and services of interest. If you make a purchase through one of the links, we may receive an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this does not influence our reporting.