Stanford Samuels III
CB, FLANAGAN
STANFORD SAMUELS III WILL BE HEADING
back to college in a few months. Samuels, a
6-foot- 1, 175-pound cornerback, still has a senior season to play at Flanagan. But he knows
college life very well. After all, he was practically born on campus. His father, Stanford
Samuels Sr., was just 18 when his son was
born. He was a Florida State cornerback at the
time, and little Stanford would often come to
practice during those years (1999 to 2003).
Future NFL star Anquan Boldin, an FSU wide
receiver at the time, would throw the little guy
footballs. These days, Samuels is all grown up,
and wide receivers don’t like him very much.
“He is a lot more advanced than I was at
that age,” said his father, who played six years
in the Canadian Football League and is now
the head coach at Flanagan. “He understands
technique very well.”
That’s no surprise since Samuels has been
watching film with his father since before he
could even pronounce the word.
“He would say f-l-i-m,” his father said with a
laugh.
Samuels III, who has a 3. 4 weighted GPA,
plans to graduate from high school in December. He will enroll in college in January and is
interested in studying business.But just which
college will win the recruiting war for Samuels
is still in doubt. FSU is in the running, but
Samuels said Alabama, Michigan, which has
his former Flanagan coach Devin Bush Sr., and
Georgia are also strong contenders.
The biggest difference between father and
son is strength. Samuels Sr., who is 5-10, had
a more compact body and could bench press
355 pounds when he left Carol City High and
enrolled at FSU. Samuels III, on the other
hand, is still growing into his frame. He hopes
to weigh between 180 and 185 by the time he
enters college.
“But there’s no rush,” his father said. “He’s
only 17. We want him to gain weight and
strength naturally, not in big chunks.”
Trevon Grimes
WR, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS WIDE RECEIVER
Trevon Grimes, who has his initials and his
birthday tattooed in Roman numerals on his
left biceps, is highly confident in his ability.
His favorite receiver is 6-5, 239-pound
Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, the recently
retired six-time Pro Bowl pick.
At 6-4 and 200 pounds, Grimes has
Johnson’s stature, and he plans to grow into
that type of game.
“Size and speed – I feel I have both,” Grimes
said. “It’s pretty hard for a defense to cover me.
I can go across the field. I can go up the field.
“The last couple of years, I have learned to
use my size and be more physical in the way I
go after the ball. My height is an advantage.”
A native of Indiana, Grimes has dozens of
scholarships offers. Ohio State, which wants
to bring him back to the Midwest, is in the lead
for his services. Florida, which wants to keep
him in the Sunshine State, is second.
Florida has a commitment from Aquinas
quarterback Jake Allen, who has been trying to
recruit Grimes to the Gators.
Grimes, though, said he has no timetable for
a decision and that it is possible he could wait
until National Signing Day in February.
“Ohio State has the lead, but nothing is
impossible,” said Grimes, who is ranked
the No. 1 wide receiver in the nation in the
Class of 2017. “Whatever school makes me
feel comfortable – that’s one of the biggest
Grimes said it’s probable his parents will move
to his college city so that they can more easily
watch him play once he reaches the next level.
“Wherever I go,” Grimes said, “my mom
should be able to be there, front-row seat. She
should be able to experience this opportunity
with me.”
N’Kosi Perry
QB, OCALA VANGUARD
TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE OCALA VAN-
guard quarterback N’Kosi Perry fits a spread
offense better than a pro set, that’s not what
he thinks. After all, Perry put up monster
numbers as a junior, passing for 2,307 yards
and 32 touchdowns while suffering only two
interceptions. He completed 57. 4 percent of
his passes and was named Florida’s Class 4A
Player of the Year.
That’s why Perry, a 6-foot- 3, 175-pound
senior with 4. 7 speed in the 40-yard dash,
stuck with his commitment to the University
of Miami, where new coach Mark Richt has
installed a pro-set offense.
True, Perry reopened his recruitment on Feb. 4.
But by March 19, Perry was back on board.
“I visited Coach Richt and sat in on the QB
meetings,” Perry said. “I got to see the plays
they run and his way of coaching. [Richt] is
very motivational. He’s a good teacher, and he
gives his QBs a chance to respond.
“I like the whole environment. I’m all in now.”
Perry turned down offers from Alabama,
Georgia, Tennessee, Louisville and others.
Next up for Perry is his continuing quest
to fill out his lanky frame. He said he would
love to arrive at Miami next fall weighing 190
pounds. But gaining weight is a chore because
of his fast metabolism. As skinny as Perry
is, he’s also surprisingly strong, lifting 260
pounds on the bench press.
The best thing he can lift, of course, is
a football. A look at his game tape shows
Perry is not one of those quarterbacks who
throws many bubble screens. He actually
throws the ball downfield, although he realizes
that defenses will get more complex at the
collegiate level, and the throwing lanes will get
tighter, too.
“I’m a pass-first quarterback,” said Perry,
who has a 3.0 grade-point average. “I use
my dual-threat ability to get more time in the
pocket. But I keep my eyes downfield.”
