When St. Thomas Aquinas kicker/punter Michael Palardy announced on live radio (WQAM) last week

Michael Palardy

that he was going to be heading toward the University of Tennessee in the fall of 2010, it was just one of several local players who are not waiting until next February to let everyone know about the future.

Palardy’s decision to play for first year Vols’ head coach Lane Kiffin is something that just felt right.

“The city and school sold me,” said Palardy, who chose Tennessee over LSU. “Coming from Fort Lauderdale, you can see a lot of this area in Knoxville. That was very important to me.”

Palardy is not alone. Several other Broward players have made the decision to commit early to get it out of the way, having the chance to concentrate on that important senior season.

Cypress Bay offensive lineman Joe McNamara had been looked at by schools such as Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, FIU and Iowa State, but when Stanford made the offer, it was a chance of a lifetime.

Joe McNamara

McNamara, who started out his high school football career at Chaminade-Madonna, but made the move to Cypress Bay to wrestle for his father, Pat, has started for the Lightning the past three years. Getting it done on the football field has been important, but also maintaining the grades to attract a school as prestigious as Stanford is something that alters your life - in a hurry!

“Stanford is one of those schools you hear about since the time you are very young,” McNamara said. “Great football, great athletes and superb academics. You leave that school after four years and you are pretty much set in your life.”

Tennessee, Stanford and coach Greg Schiano and Rutgers have come into the area early this year.

As a sophomore and junior Marcus Thompson was a prospect for South Plantation. His size (6-2, 220), speed and strength made him a perfect linebacker and running for the future.

Last year, after the season had ended, Thompson’s family suffered a huge loss when their home was destroyed by a fire. With no place to move, the family headed north to Lauderdale Lakes, where he enrolled at Boyd Anderson.

Now, as he heads toward his senior season, Thompson is viewed as one of the top prospects by colleges across the country, and after a recent visit to New Jersey, the gifted athlete decided on Rutgers.

Thompson’s teammate Demar Dorsey actually was the first local player to announce his decision, and that came during his junior year. The 6-2, 180-pound safety will head to the University of Florida and compete for the impressive Gators who start the 2009 season right where they left off - No. 1!

The final local player to make an early decision is Western offensive lineman Jonathan Feliciano. Not on anyone‘s radar screen a year ago, Feliciano made his intentions known to stay close to home when he told the University of Miami that he would love to be a part of the turnaround in Coral Gables.

While a few have already made their decision, Broward County will definitely be in the spotlight over the next few months with others making a decision that will catch the attention of everyone.

Here are some locals who will soon make that announcement:

Ivan McCartney, WR, 6-2, 175, Miramar
Devon Wright, RB, 6-0, 185, Taravella
Tony Grimes, CB, 6-0, 170, Hollywood Hills
Gio Bernard, RB, 5-8, 200, Thomas Aquinas
Lamarcus Joyner, CB/WR, 5-8, 175, St. Thomas Aquinas
Brandon Linder, OT, 6-6, 280, St. Thomas Aquinas
Vinnie Mauro, LB, 6-1, 215, St. Thomas Aquinas
Keion Payne, CB, 6-0, 170, St. Thomas Aquinas
Cody Riggs, CB, 5-9, 170, St. Thomas Aquinas
Brian Robinson, DB, 5-10, 185, St. Thomas Aquinas
James White, RB, 5-10, 185, St. Thomas Aquinas
Shawn Corker, WR, 6-1, 185, Cardinal Gibbons
Clifton Coleman, DB, 5-10, 170, Boyd Anderson
Justin Wilson, LB, 6-0, 218, Western

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at FloridaKids1@hotmail.com. He can also be heard every Thursday night (9-10) on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Report on WQAM (560 AM).