These Florida football recruits will see their stock rise this fall

Ahmad Moten wasn't a household name at this time a year ago.

In fact, the 6-foot-3, 325-pound Cardinal Gibbons defensive tackle didn't have any offers.

Fast forward 12 months and Moten is preparing for his freshman year at the University of Miami. He announced his decision in February, capping a frantic few months of recruiting that saw Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and many others offer him scholarships.

Moten broke out last fall and his strong start to the season propelled him to being considered one of the top recruits in the state.

What happened to Moten happens every year and this year will be no exception.

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A handful of players who either went overlooked during the recruiting process (so far) or are late bloomers will impress colleges with a strong start to their senior season.

USA Today Florida Network reporters picked players from around the state who could see their recruitment pick up this fall.

Big Bend

Ayden Fryar, Lincoln

Lincoln senior quarterback Ayden Fryar is stepping into some big shoes this fall. He takes over the starting position following Perry Fisher, who is now at Maryland and was an All-Big Bend first-team offense selection. Fryar did play in all, but one game for Lincoln and leaned heavily on his running backs. Early on in the preseason, Fryar has immensely improved on his passing game and is throwing with speed and precision. Trojans head coach Jimmie Tyson has spoken about how impressed he is on the quarterback's improvement over the summer. In a program like Lincoln, that has a lot of eye on it from colleges, expect Fryar to see his recruitment rise big time. — Jack Williams, Tallahassee Democrat

Bradenton-Sarasota

Maddox Marchbank, Sarasota

Marchbank is one of the area's most versatile players. The 6-foot-3, 270 pounder can play guard, defensive tackle and is the long snapper for the Sailors. Offered by Seton Hill University, Marchbank had seven sacks and 55 tackles (22 for a loss) last year on the defensive line. Sailors coach Brody Wiseman said, "We see him as a collegiate talent on either side of the ball depending on the need of the teams recruiting him."  Additionally, Marchbank is a Khol's 4-star rated long snapper. At the camp he displayed "solid mechanics and scored on 9 of his 12 long snaps with an average snap time of .77 seconds," according to coaches there. — Dennis Maffezzoli, Sarasota Herald-Tribune 

Daytona Beach

Ashton Bracewell, Flagler Palm Coast

Flagler Palm Coast's senior linebacker ticks a lot of physical boxes — he's 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and athletic in coverage as a converted safety. Bracewell had a hand in 55 tackles last season, adding three sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception. He collected five verbal offers in the spring — Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Navy and Toledo. A fast start could increase his Division I opportunities, and improve his standing on the recruiting boards of those respective schools. — Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Fort Lauderdale

Kamari Moulton, Cardinal Gibbons

The Chiefs senior is very underrated. A legitimate 5-foot-11 190-pound balanced running back with speed and strength and only one Power 5 offer. But overcoming obstacles is nothing new to this young man. Kamari lost his mother to COVID-19 in the beginning the 2021 playoff run that ended with him powering an explosive Cardinal Gibbons offense to another state championship. He’s coming off a junior season with 1,075 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, which earned him all-state honors. A huge senior campaign could result in Moulton grabbing his third state championship ring and finding himself a home at power 5 school. — Quinten Lambert, Special to the USA Today Network 

Fort Myers

Spencer Yeager, Fort Myers

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound linebacker is a critical player coming back for Sam Sirianni Jr.'s defense. He led the team with 90 tackles last year along with a sack, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. With the Green Wave looking to bounce back from a 5-4 season below their standards, Yeager could be a player who will get looks. And with the Greenies facing off against North Fort Myers, St. Thomas Aquinas and Dunbar in three of their first four games, Yeager will be facing off against some elite talent early on in the season. — Dustin Levy, Fort Myers News-Press

Gainesville

Tyler Jefferson, Lake City Columbia

After leading Hawthorne to the Class 1A state title game in 2021, Tyler Jefferson elected to reunite with Demetric Jackson at Lake City Columbia for his senior campaign. Jefferson played under Jackson at Fort White in his freshman and sophomore seasons, before Jackson took the head coaching job at Columbia. In terms of recruiting, Jefferson committed to Central Michigan after fielding offers from Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Kentucky and Maryland, among others. However, with the keys to the electric Columbia offense in his hands, don't be surprised if more Power 5 offers come rolling in for Jefferson. — Ainslie Lee, The Gainesville Sun

Jacksonville

Desirrio Riles, University Christian

At UC, they call him "Oo," and this year, the 225-pound QB-turned-linebacker could be leaving opponents saying "Ow." A three-year starter at quarterback for UC, Riles has bulked up significantly and intends to play this year in an all-purpose athlete role, primarily linebacker on defense and tight end on offense. Even while lining up at QB as a junior, he contributed on defense with 31 tackles, and now that he's dedicating more time to the defensive side of the ball, look for recruiters to take notice. Michigan and Boston College are among his offers since the start of spring practice. --Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union

Miami

Corey Washington, Miami Central 

Washington is one of the most explosive players in South Florida. Corey is 5’7 150-pounds, which is small for colleges to recruit him. But Corey is out on a mission to prove those recruiters wrong. In opinion of many coaches in Miami-Dade, Corey is the scariest player in the county. Last year, he had a whopping six return touchdowns along with 500-plus all-purpose yards. Corey has elite quickness that causes players to simply slip right off him and burst to get him inside the end zone frequently. This offseason, he excelled with national power 7v7 team Defcon. He was used primarily in the slot and at running back, where he put up massive numbers throughout the 7v7 season. With Miami Central graduating senior receivers, look for Corey to put up massive numbers at receiver and the return game. — Quinten Lambert, Special to the USA Today Network

Naples

Guerschom Guerrier, Lely

Guerrier, a running back for the Trojans, is one of the most highly-regarded players in the area by opposing coaches. The bruising running back went for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and had five 100-plus yard games. Guerrier has the face the unfortunate reality of not being on a team that's used to winning, having just one winning season in the past five years. Consider Guerrier as one who has flown under the radar for years, with the potential for that to change this season. – Alex Martin, Naples Daily News

Northeast Florida

T.J. Lawrence, Fleming Island

One year ago, Lawrence was lining up at tight end for Fleming Island, on his way to a season of three receptions for 44 yards. Now, he's added plenty of muscle (6-6, 285 pounds) and moved inside to offensive tackle. The result: Fast-increasing attention from college recruiters. During the spring, Lawrence picked up more than a dozen offers, including Georgia Tech and USF. If he demonstrates to recruiters that he's making the O-line adjustment smoothly, expect more offers to arrive in the coming months. --Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union

Northwest Florida

Jayce Brown, Choctawhatchee

The athletic ability was always there for Brown, but Choctaw's 0-8 campaign his sophomore year did the 6-foot, 170-pound wideout no favors. Come 2021, Jesse Winslette arrived under center and first-year head coach Frank Beasley committed to the vertical attack. The result was a 6-4 campaign and 30 receptions for 558 yards and eight touchdowns for Brown. Credit the breakthrough to his hands (zero drops in 2021), his post routes, his situational awareness when the ball's in the air. Simply put, the guy makes plays and is best on deep routes, as evidenced by his 18.6 yards per catch. Kansas State became the first Power 5 school to offer Brown this past June, just the first in what should be many high-profile offers. Winslette to Brown for 6. Get used to that. — Seth Stringer, NWF Daily News 

Orlando

Asaad Waseem, Ocoee

This is as deep a talent pool as Orlando has seen in a decade, so there was a plethora of choices. Ocoee already has two Power Five commits — safety Zachary Tobe and edge rusher Calvin Smith, both of whom are planning to head to Illinois. Waseem, a newcomer to the program after stints at Wekiva and West Orange, already claims 18 Division I offers, but he is yet to take any official visits to date. The 6-foot, 170-pound slot receiver caught 36 passes for 463 yards, complementing Oklahoma signee Jayden Gibson last fall. — Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal

Palm Beach

Jayden Parrish, Atlantic

A defensive roster heavy with seniors and juniors limited Parrish's playing time last season, but a strong offseason signaled a breakout junior year was in the works. Atlantic's summer camp tour included stops at the campuses of Auburn and University of Alabama-Birmingham – and two MVP awards for the 6-2, 210-pound Parrish after catching coaches' attention with his agility and quickness. This could also be Parrish's year to dominate at his second position, running back, now that the Eagles have graduated Corey Reddick and Omari Mitchell, who combined for 2,278 yards in 2021. — Emilee Smarr, The Palm Beach Post

Pasco

Tayshaun Balmir, Pasco

Not familiar with the name? You might want to be if you’re a Pasco County high school football fan. Balmir isn’t a name you’d recognized from the couple of seasons because he didn’t play at Pasco his sophomore and junior years. His six-carry, 178-yard performance in the spring against Wesley Chapel Cypress Creek, however, was an eye opener. He has legitimate track speed and is difficult to bring down in open space. Offers? He doesn’t have one, but a strong start could change that. — Andy Villamarzo, Special to the USA Today Florida Network

Pensacola

Demontrae Gaston, Pensacola Catholic

The Crusaders were dealt a bad hand when four-star sophomore Koby Howard suffered a broken tibia during a summer camp visit at Miami. With the standout wide receiver possibly out for the 2022 season, Gaston stands to see more touches as Catholic enters its second season in the spread. The 6-1, 200-pound junior wideout is coming off a year where he snatched 40 catches for 596 yards and two touchdowns. "I think of him as more of an all-purpose receiver because he'll make you miss and he runs well, too. He's really going to be big for us," Crusaders head coach Matt Adams said. Gaston currently has offers from Georgia Tech and Bethune-Cookman.  — Patrick Bernadeau, Pensacola News Journal

St. Augustine

Arion Stith, Bartram Trail

Last season saw a slew of breakout performers in St. Johns County, including Creekside offensive tackle Matt McCoy (Miami signee), Nease wide receiver Dom Henry (BYU) and Nease linebacker Ben Bogle (Southern Illinois). Perhaps the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Stith can follow suit. Bartram Trail's staff has high hopes for the interior rusher, a converted nose guard. "He's really aggressive and quick. He's going to give opposing O-lineman fits," Bears head coach Darrell Sutherland said. — Chris Boyle, St. Augustine Record

Space Coast

Cameron Mills, Viera

Mills has offers from a handful of Division I schools, including USF and Marshall. He recently added cornerback to his running back duties, and it is as a defender that he is being recruited. As he displays the skills and speed his 6-foot body possesses – Mills sprints and high jumps in the spring – his recruiting could shift into a higher gear. -- Brian McCallum, Florida Today 

Tampa-St. Petersburg

DL Antonio Henley

It isn’t like the Gaither defensive lineman is an unknown commodity at this point, but the sophomore’s stock could soar at the beginning of the season. Coming off a strong freshman campaign that saw Henley notch eight sacks and add 31 tackles, Henley is lightning-quick off the ball and uses his feet and leverage well at the point of attack. Not to mention Gaither head coach Kirk Karsen believes Henley is the best defensive tackle he’s seen in the area. That’s saying something. — Andy Villamarzo, Special to the USA Today Network

Treasure Coast

Ryland Hauser, Jensen Beach

One year ago, Hauser was far from a name that would be considered as a Division I prospect. Utilized on both sides of the ball for the Falcons, Hauser had good size but had yet to flourish in his career entering the offseason. After hard work to fill out into a frame that sits at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Hauser concentrated on becoming a dynamic threat as a hybrid tight end/receiver. After a summer of camps in which he displayed the ball skills and the speed colleges like at his height, Hauser first picked up an an offer from Warner University but made headlines locally in July when Mississippi State offered him. Hauser has since added an offer from North Alabama and is a prime candidate to add more offers with a quick start to the season for a Jensen Beach program that should be much improved from 2021. — Bryan Cooney, TCPalm

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Which Florida football recruits will see their stock rise this fall?