Palm Beach County and beyond: How 21 local football stars fared in Division I this year

Few places in the country allow for a youngster with Division I dreams to find the path to success in their own backyard – the Sunshine State is one of them.

South Florida is a known goldmine for Football Bowl Subdivision schools around the country.

The small towns of Belle Glade and Pahokee alone have churned over 50 players into the pros. Yes. Enough to field an entire NFL team.

From PBC to the NFL: 'Forever striving for more': Former Benjamin star Kaiir Elam declares for NFL Draft

More preps: Atlantic standout kicker Robert Hammond III transfers to Cardinal Gibbons

But what Palm Beach County players are putting up numbers in college, hoping to have their names mentioned in the same conversations as Anquan Boldin or Lamar Jackson?

See where some of the area's best from the 2018 recruiting class to date are now that the 2021 season has come to a close.

Class of 2018

QB Jordan Travis, Florida State

High school: Benjamin

Recruiting Rating: Three-star

The 2017 FHSAA 3A Player of the Year's career began at Louisville – where he threw at a 28.6 completion rate. After transferring his sophomore year, Travis would eventually become the starting quarterback for the Seminoles.

Now, Travis is FSU's only quarterback to have four straight games with at least one rushing and one passing touchdown, ranking fifth in rushing yards and holding the two longest runs by quarterbacks in program history.

In 2021, Travis completed 62.9 percent of passes for 1,539 yards – long of 75 – and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions. On the run, Travis recorded 530 yards – long of 53 – and seven touchdowns.

DL Jason Mercier, Florida International

High school: Atlantic

Rating: Three-star

The Boynton Beach native is making a difference close to home.

In 2021, Mercier appeared in nine games and posted 22 tackles – 1.5 for loss – one sack, three hurries, and two pass breakups. Since he first took the field for the Panthers as a freshman, Mercier has made 65 tackles – 36 solo and 6.5 for loss – two sacks, and a fumble recovery.

S Gurvan Hall, Utah State

High school: Palm Beach Gardens

Rating: Four-star

Emerging from high school as the No. 15 safety in the nation, Hall committed to Miami and would go on to compete in 36 games. In his career at the U, Hall recorded 117 tackles – 62 solo and five for loss – two sacks, seven pass breakups, and one interception.

In December, Hall announced that he would be entering the transfer portal and ultimately decided to take his talents to Utah State for his senior season.

WR A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

High school: Park Vista

Rating: Three-star

Long and lean at 6-foot-5, 206-pounds, Perry has flourished in the Demon Deacons' offense.

Dominating in Wake's 40-37 win over Syracuse with three touchdowns, Travis saw his breakout season in 2021. The Biletnikoff semifinalist received 71 passes for 1,293 yards – long of 69 – and 15 touchdowns in 14 games.

TE Dante Zanders, University of Florida

High school: Boca Raton

Rating: Three-Star

Zanders chose Florida over a number of Power 5 schools, including Georgia, LSU, Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Kentucky.

Since becoming a Gator, Zanders has made 11 tackles in 38 games, recording a game high of four in Florida's September victory against South Florida

CB Keni-H Lovely, Western Michigan

High school: Atlantic

Rating: Three-star

Raised in a football family – brothers to seventh-round 2018 Draft pick James and fourth-round 2012 pick Joe Looney – Lovely took 67 snaps in 2020 and 2021, most recently recording ten tackles – six solo – and two defended passes in six games.

Class of 2019

CB Kaiir Elam, University of Florida

High school: Benjamin

Rating: Four-star

Elam will be preparing for the Combine in March after an impressive stint in Gainesville. He was an All-SEC selection his freshman and sophomore year before the 2021 season.

A Jim Thorpe award semifinalist, Elam posted 79 tackles – 52 solo – six interceptions, 26 pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in his 35-game career.

CB E.J. Jackson, Marshall

High school: Glades Central

Rating: Three-star

Out of the Muck, Jackson has trudged his way to the forefront of the depth chart at Marshall.

Prior to 2021, Jackson made 11 tackles in 17 games. In his performance against Navy this season, the highly touted prospect proved his worth with a career high 12 tackles. Jackson would finish the year with 56 tackles – 38 solo – and one forced fumble.

ATH Mark-Antony Richards, Central Florida

High school: Wellington

Rating: Four-star

The beginning of Richards' college career, which started at Auburn, was riddled with injury that barred him from seeing the field. Richards would stay for the 2020 season, playing three games as reserve tailback and becoming the Tigers' lead rusher against Alabama with 57 yards on 14 carries.

That December, Richards entered the transfer portal to ultimately return home to Florida as a Knight in March of last year. At UCF, Richards had one start at running back in 11 games and rushed for 309 yards and five touchdowns. Receiving, Richards caught eight passes for 76 yards.

S Antavious Lane, Georgia State

High school: Dwyer

Rating: Three-star

Lane introduced himself as a force for the Panthers in 2020, posting 55 tackles – 39 solo – one forced fumble, six pass breakups, and four interceptions for 76 yards.

The 2020 All-Sun Belt Conference second team selection would improve in 2021, making 60 unassisted tackles of 81 total, a forced fumble, five interceptions for 73 yards, and repeat six pass breakups.

DE Mike Morris, Michigan

High school: American Heritage - Delray

Rating: Three-star

The Belle Glade native was Palm Beach County's lone former preps star to compete in the 2021 College Football Semifinals, in which he recorded a tackle and hurry in the loss to Georgia.

In 14 games this season, Morris stuffed the stat sheet with 18 tackles – six solo and one for five-yards of loss – a half sack for three-yards, one interception, and two defended passes.

TE Kamareon Williams, Florida International

High school: Atlantic

Rating: Three-star

Since helping Atlantic to a 10-1 record his senior year, Williams has been a contributor down south at FIU.

Williams's freshman year was his best to date, getting the nod to start four times and earning three catches for 27 yards on the year – his 15-yard reception against UMass a season high for a tight end.

CB Akeem Dent, Florida State

High school: Palm Beach Central

Rating: Four-star

In 2018, Dent's scouting report read "projects as a multi-year Power 5 starter and a second-day NFL draft choice" and it's reigned true since.

Breaking up seven passes for the most in the ACC by a true freshman and adding 35 tackles, Dent grew over his sophomore year to complete his true breakout season in 2021.

Most recently, 247Sports' No. 50 prospect in the nation for the 2019 class totaled 44 tackles – 24 solo – a half sack, five pass breakups, and one interception.

ILB Daniel Foster, Marshall

High school: Dwyer

Rating: Three-star

As a Panther, Foster played at middle linebacker and tight end, leading the team to an 11-2 record as a senior.

At Marshall, Foster recorded three tackles as he took the field for the first time as a redshirt freshman in 2020. This season, Foster appeared in ten games and made six tackles, adding a fumble recovery for four-yards.

OG Renato Brown, Louisville

High school: Palm Beach Central

Rating: Three-star

Florida's No. 78 prospect and the No. 38 offensive guard in the nation, Brown flipped his commitment to the Cards after initially expressing interest in attending Miami.

Brown is now a redshirt freshman, seeing his first action in 2019 against Notre Dame and having participated in 26 games since arriving in Kentucky.

DB Gio Richardson, Florida International

High school: Dwyer

Rating: Three-star

Richardson signed to the Panthers a dual-threat quarterback and has made the transition to defensive back after sitting out his true freshman season as a redshirt.

Richardson seems to be adjusting well to the move, posting 13 tackles – seven solo – and one fumble recovery for four yards.

Class of 2020

WR Bryan Robinson, Marshall

High school: Palm Beach Central

Rating: Four-star

Robinson left the Broncos as the nation’s No. 30 wide receiver and 26th-best overall prospect in Florida, weighing offers from UF, Miami, Pitt, Alabama and Nebraska before ultimately deciding to commit to FSU.

As a Seminole, Robinson competed in three games despite battling injury his freshman year and decided to enter the portal in October after only seeing the field against Louisville in 2021.

Next season, Robinson will be getting a fresh start in West Virginia.

DB Joshua Pierre-Louis, N.C. State

High school: Benjamin

Rating: Three-star

The First Team All-State performer produced early on in Raleigh to become one of three true freshmen to start on the Wolfpack's defense, totaling 27 tackles – 17 solo – a pass breakup on the season and an interception for 21 yards at Virginia.

In 2021, Pierre-Louis recorded 17 tackles – a season high of five against the Tar Heels – one interception, two quarterback hurries, and two defended passes.

DB Jamal Potts, Florida International

High school: American Heritage - Delray

Rating: Three-star

Ranked the the 98th-best cornerback in the nation upon his departure from the Stallions, Potts would go on to play in four of FIU's 5 games his true freshman season and level up in 2021 with 23 tackles – 14 solo – and one pass breakup.

OL Kevin Cline, Boston College

High school: Boca Raton Christian

Rating: Two-star

Redshirting his freshman season, the 2020 Sportsman of the Year saw action for the first time in 2021, appearing against Colgate, Temple, Missouri, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest.

Class of 2021

Edge Ashton Gilotte, Louisville

High school: Boca Raton

Rating: Three-star

Touting offers from Duke, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Kansas, Maryland, Pitt, USF, Syracuse, Tulane, UCF, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest, Gilotte committed to Louisville in May of 2020.

Gilotte made a considerable impact in his freshman campaign with 19 tackles – 15 solo and eight for 34 yards of loss – four sacks for a total loss of 23 yards, and three quarterback hurries.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County and beyond: How former county football stars fared in 2021