FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When the Rivals Camp Series makes its annual stop in South Florida, the expectation is that the impressive depth and quality of the wide receiver and tight end prospects in the region will be on display. It was more of the same on Sunday, with the pass catchers putting the most pressure on evaluators when it came to recognizing the very best in show.
Among them, Rivals was able to check in on several top prospects’ recruitment and where things stand in early April. Committed or not, plenty of movement lie ahead.
Ohio State, which has established a wide receiver pipeline not only in Florida but also with Brady’s South Florida Express 7-on-7 club, may be the early team to beat for the Rivals250 standout. Brady says the trip to Columbus at the end of March only made the Buckeye angle clearer.
A pair of ACC programs are among the group giving chase to Ohio State, including local Miami and Louisville. The Hurricanes have hosted Brady for years and he’s now built a rapport with Kevin Beard, while the Cardinals have put in work from afar. He’ll make it up to campus later this month for a closer look at Louisville. Penn State has also been in the mix for some time and shouldn’t be ruled out, especially if Brady continues to lean toward a decision before his senior season.
*****
The electric two-way prospect has been busy with unofficial visits in between dominant camp efforts this spring, including Sunday in which he took home MVP honors despite the deepest group of top candidates. Brown took in Miami on Saturday and admits the Hurricanes have picked up the pace in his recruitment of late to the point they have staying power in the national race.
Fellow in-state programs Florida and Florida State have been in on Brown for years and have each become steady players in the recruitment, also hosting him for a fresh look of late. The program to watch beyond the region is the one best known for production at the wide receiver position, Ohio State. Other programs are trying to make waves with Brown but time is running out for newer names to the party considering he wants to come off the board this summer.
*****
A longtime commitment to local Miami, Charles remains on board with the program but he is starting to explore other college campuses in the meantime. Tennessee has begun to push for him and UT got him on campus in March for his first trip to a program not named Miami since he made the pledge to Mario Cristobal’s program.
UCF has now followed up with a trip of their own as the Knights, who just landed the commitment of his teammate and fellow four-star Tony Williams, try to keep him within state lines. Charles is a big-bodied talent who flashes to all three levels of the defense, so programs on the fence about his game could be pushed over the top this spring as he continues to keep his college options relatively open.
*****
It’s not surprising that powerhouse programs from around the country are pursuing Dixon-Wyatt. The top-30 prospect in the 2026 class pretty much has his pick of the litter when it comes to scholarship offers but the California native said the teams doing the best with him right now are Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Georgia and Alabama. He’s been a heavily recruited prospect for a couple of years already and has developed strong relationships with Brian Hartline at Ohio State, Junior Adams at Oregon and Chris Jackson at Texas. Look for Dixon-Wyatt to try to visit Oregon and Texas before the summer hits.
*****
A big-bodied playmaker who wins at the catch point, the Jacksonville native has been busy on the trail himself, checking out UCF and USF ahead of the Rivals Camp Series in Miami. Kentucky got him on campus in late March, for the first time since offering him last year, and the trip made a strong impression on the rising-senior.
Gelsey is taking his time as he could have a strong spring as college coaches flock to his program. West Virginia is the newest program putting in more communication with him while Wake Forest also looks like it has done a good enough job to stay in the race. A decision could come before the season, depending on the new options added in the coming months.
*****
Committed to the Auburn Tigers since New Year’s Day, Gray recently was able to get up to the Plains for the first time as a verbal commitment and he reinforced his plans to play his college ball at Hugh Freeze’s program. Wide receivers coach Marcus Davis has long been one of the top communicators with Gray and that relationship will be needed as other continue to pursue the blue-chipper.
While many programs are keeping tabs on the impressive pass catcher, who was a gold ball winner and was very much in contention for Wide Receiver MVP on Sunday, he is not as well traveled as some of his blue-chip peers in the 2026 class. That may start to change this offseason, at least to some degree, as Louisville continues to make him a priority. Gray will stop in on the Cardinals for the program’s spring game on April 19.
*****
A Jacksonville native to punched his ticket to the camp via a head-turning performance at the Rivals Combine Series on Saturday, he looked the part Sunday as well. A versatile talent who elected to work at wide receiver this time around, Hayes has scholarship offers on both sides of the football at this time. While his stock is rising and more programs are showing interest, two are becoming the most steady with him.
Hayes picked up an offer from NC State back in January and tells Rivals the Wolfpack are beginning their evaluation with him on defense while Vanderbilt jumped in with an offer in March with more of an offensive focus. The rising-senior has the speed and quickness to work at either spot at the next level and he’s a problem with the ball in his hands, scoring 21 touchdowns in 2023, including at least two in each phase (15 on offense, four on special teams, two on defense).
*****
The explosive Floridian, who was a gold ball recipient after a strong showing at the Rivals Camp on Sunday, was about to commit in March but elected to hold off, and now other programs are in the conversation as well. This recruitment could roll well into the traditional off-season.
Howard could also see a fluctuation in how hard programs pursue him coming off of a healthy 2023 season and a transfer to national power Chaminade-Madonna, where every program in the country should be sending coaches in the coming weeks. Howard is willing to play patient with the decision depending on how much shifts this spring, but the in-state programs won’t soon slow for him at a minimum.
*****
After making a pair of early verbal commitments, one as a freshman to Texas A&M and another to Colorado, the elite Floridian is going to take his time before making the final call. Watkins has a bevy of offers and visits to his name, but he told Rivals Sunday he won’t be making a final college decision until December. It means trips and the 2024 season could ultimately play a large part in the pick.
Watkins has been well-traveled of late, spending time at Syracuse and Ole Miss most recently. Ohio State, which was the very early favorite for his services, is the next trip – scheduled for April 10. Of the Orange, he said there is a firm belief in Fran Brown changing the perception of the program. At Ole Miss, there is the expectation to put up points on offense and the staff comparing him to fellow South Florida great Elijah Moore didn’t hurt Lane Kiffin’s chances to hang around in this one.
*****
A two-sport star who has college interest in basketball and now in football as a tight end, Wimbley has slowly seen his list of options rise in both sports. On the football front, Toledo is the newest program to offer him while Coastal Carolina and Liberty have both been consistent with their communication. Coastal is likely to soon get him on campus for a closer look.
Wimbley, whose father of the same name starred in basketball for the Miami Hurricanes, is also beginning to hear more from in-state programs like South Florida. Florida International is also on the early offer list for the multi-sport star, who also played defensive end and registered double-digit sacks off the edge last fall.
