It may sound early to some, but when you are talking about underclassmen these days in high school football, you are dealing with athletes who can make a major impact on any football team.

From the time they mature enough to help the varsity programs, underclassmen have become the lifeline of any program.

While seniors are extremely important, getting a good group of younger players help keep the talent train moving along at several schools.

For the Class of 2013 - the rising juniors in the BCAA - schools such as Plantation, St. Thomas Aquinas, Miramar and Cypress Bay have some elite athletes who can continue to make a huge difference.

Speaking about difference makers, last year, Coach Donnell Bennett and his Northeast Hurricanes had plenty of talent, but not one of those athletes made the impact that receiver Stacey Coley made.

All this quality former Youth Player of the Year did last season was become one of the most impressive young talents around. That came less than a year after leading the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes of the South Florida Youth Football League.

Coley is one of the impact players, but he is not alone with one of the most impressive junior classes ever in the BCAA:

1. Stacey Coley, WR, 6-1, 175, Northeast: Enough has been said about this game changer. Every coach who platys against him, simply is at a loss for words. The young man is that good.

2. Sandly Jean-Felix, OL, 6-6, 295, Boyd Anderson: Pick out the furniture, check out the new house and those nice cars, if this quality talent stays healthy over the next five years, the NFL awaits. He is that dominating.

3. Joey Bosa, DL, 6-3, 230, St. Thomas Aquinas: Another of those fly beneath the radar screen players on a team loaded with athletes on both sides of the ball. His father was a tremendous football player for the Miami Dolphins, and he appears to be on his way as well.

4. Matthew Dayes, RB, 5-9, 205, Cypress Bay: One of the classic, hard running and powerful backs who has already emerged as a national recruit. A punisher who can run over and away from you, which colleges have already taken notice.

5. Fred Coppet, RB, 5-9, 180, St. Thomas Aquinas: If you remember the 5A state title game against Tampa Plant, you will remember this quality back who is pushing to be one of the most complete backs this program has had. He not only has tremendous speed and power, but also blocks well.
6. Sojourn Shelton, DB, 5-9, 175, Plantation: This most recent FSU commitment is a solid player who really got a huge lift playing for the South Florida Express - 7-on-7 team, showcasing his cover skills. Needs to get a bit more physical, but that will come.

7. Jaranta Lewis, QB, 6-0, 180, Cypress Bay: One of the emerging run/pass national quarterback stars, this is a talented football player who not only learned the complex Wing-T attack, but has put himself in a position to be one of the state’s top juniors.

8. Monty Nelson, DT, 6-2, 310, Plantation: Another classic defensive player from a program that has made a habit out of churning out tremendous football talents like this impressive run stopper, who has also proven that he can put pressure on the quarterback.

9. Alex Montgomery, WR, 6-2, 190, Cypress Bay: One of the huge stars of last year’s team that came with inches of heading to state. Here is a big body player who is strong, runs pass patterns exceptionally well and makes plays. Ed of story.

10. Jermaine Grace, LB, 6-1, 195, Miramar: One of the new emerging stars of the class, here is a player who is gifted, puts in a lot of overtime in the weight room and has put himself in a position where he will start to hear from those coveted BCS schools.

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at Floridakids1@hotmail.com. Blustein is the co-host of the High School Gridiron Show each Wednesday night from 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM) or www.wqam.com.

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