Week Three Top High School Matchups Involving Miami commits and targets

Here’s a rundown of the top high school games of the weekend involving Miami commits and targets.

Chaminade has been rolling through the beginning of 2023, knocking off multiple nationally ranked opponents, and successfully put a running clock on a second top local opponent last week in Cardinal Gibbons, 41-4.

Five-star Miami commit safety Zaquan Patterson had his second pick six of the season and was all over the field before finishing the game on the bench due to the enormous deficit that ensued in the second half.

Miami 2025 cornerback target Chris Ewald Jr. is having an equally strong start to the year and had two amicable pass breakups last week to complement Patterson.

Joshisa Trader will probably sit this one out, as he did last week, as the Lions have powers American Heritage and Miami Central coming up. That means another week of 2025 weapons Kyle Washington and Jaquari Lewis, who have heavy interest in Miami as four-star prospects.

Multiple Bergen Catholic players will be in attendance this week, so it will be nice to get a chance to see Jordan Thomas, Kaj Sanders, and Jermaine Kinsler.

Miami Central returns to South Florida, and their first test is rival Booker T. Washington, who has multiple Miami targets on the roster. The linebacker duo of Miami commits Vincent Shavers, and ’25 target Ezekiel Marcelin will look to mirror their first game success as they battle an elite run game of the Tornadoes.

Ben Hanks Jr. and Antonio Branch Jr. are the top players on Miami’s board for the next cycle. They will have arguably their toughest test of the year in Florida State commit LaWayne McCoy and a group of 2025 receivers with breakout potential this season.

The St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback duo of Ryan Mack and Romanas Frederique look way better than when they initially committed, especially after such a standout week two performance by Mack, where he grabbed his first interception of the season against Fort Myers.

It was more of a bye week type game last week for the Raiders, as they held out several top players and still won by 40-plus. This week is different. Cocoa is familiar with Aquinas, as their head coach, Ryan Schneider, is the former offensive coordinator there, and they are looking to win after being blasted multiple times since his hiring.

Cocoa has several good players, like four-star pass rusher Javion Hilson and highly recruited 2025 wide receiver Jayvan Boggs. This one could be close and one of the most challenging games of the year for Aquinas.

Columbus and Jesuit played last year, and the Explorers earned one of their signature wins of 2022 in a blowout of the annual state championship contender. The core of quarterback Alberto Mendoza, wide receiver Jose Leon, athlete Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami commit defensive lineman Daylen Russell, and target linebacker Hector Chavez gives them a star at every level of their offense and defense.

That might be too much for Jesuit once again, who is coming off a tough loss against Treasure Coast, but 2026 quarterback Will Griffin is one of the best in the country, and Miami was one of his early offers. If he can step up beyond his youth, they may have a chance against one of Florida’s best, but I have doubts.

In Judd Anderson’s first game at Warner Robbins, all he did was come in the cold in the second half of a close game and throw for 175 yards and two scores, looking like he has been with that team for years rather than just a week. He seems like the prospect this staff claimed he was from the jump, and now he has a chance to prove himself against one of Georgia’s best.

Valdosta will have Colorado commit defensive end Eric Brantley rushing the passer from both the edge and interior, pushing the pocket for Anderson. They also have multiple division-one defensive backs, so another excellent performance could signal a potential rise in the rankings for Anderson.