5 Takeaways from the 2024 Miami-Dade Florida high school football media day

Current stars from one of America's top regions for high school football talent preview the 2024 season

Ennio Yapoor.jpg / Joe Frisaro

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA – Miami-Dade County is the home of champions. 

The football hotbed has a long history of producing elite players and prep programs. Most recently, Columbus has won back-to-back state championships, and from 2019-22, Miami Central enjoyed a string of four straight state titles. 

In 2023, along with Columbus winning the Class 4M crown, Homestead (3M) and Miami Norland (2M) were state runners-up.

Which brings us to 2024. With the season starting up in a few weeks, Miami-Dade County again is loaded with championship-caliber clubs.

SBLive Sports Florida will be tracking all the action, and last Saturday, we were on hand for The Football Hotbed South Florida Media Day, which featured teams from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. 

Since we highlighted Broward County schools last week, today we’re turning our focus to Miami-Dade County.

Here are our five takeaways from media day:

1. Ennio Yapoor is back for more at Norland

Perhaps the best uncommitted quarterback in the state of Florida is Ennio Yapoor, who has been making an impact since he was in eighth grade.  

The senior already is Miami-Dade County’s all-time passing yards leader with 11,024, and he’s thrown 91 career TD passes. An RPO signal caller, Yapoor is a threat to run over defenders or pass against the top defenses. 

Still, because he’s listed at 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, power conference schools have been hesitant to make a formal offer.

In an age of analytics, Yapoor draws skepticism from colleges because he doesn’t fit the taller prototypical signal callers. Still, it’s fair to remind the decision makers that Bryce Young, listed at 5-foot-10, was the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

What separates Yapoor is his strength, his ability to run and pass, coupled with outstanding leadership abilities. 

“I bring a different caliber of football,” Yapoor said. “I feel like a different caliber of football. It’s a whole momentum shift to your whole team. I change your offense. I feel like, when I step on your field with your offense, at any moment, the play can go from a five-yard gain to a touchdown.”

Yapoor threw for 4,270 yards and 30 touchdowns and ran for 793 yards and 12 more TDs a year ago. For his career, he’s rushed for 2,561 touchdowns and 33 TDs.

“I’m expecting great things from him,” Vikings coach Daryle Heidelburg said. “This summer, he knew he had to trim his body down to be more elusive, and to be more attractive to college coaches. So, he has done that.”

The Vikings finished 14-1 last year, and were upset in the 2M title game by Berkeley Prep, 28-20. 

Falling short of the ultimate championship still stings for the Vikings. Now this season, Yapoor is hoping to close out his prep career with the state crown. If he keeps producing, chances are he will find the right college fit.

“Going into my senior year, my recruiting is going pretty well,” Yapoor said. “It’s not where I’d hope for it to be, of course. Honestly, I can’t complain. I’m grateful for what I do have. I’m grateful for the recruiters who are looking at me, and coming at me. My recruiting is still open. But I can’t complain too much because there are kids out there who are not getting recruited at all.”

2. No. 4 jersey passed down to Ezekiel Marcelin at Miami Central

Miami Central's Ezekiel Marcelin. / Joe Frisaro

At Miami Central, the No. 4 jersey isn’t just handed out to players. It’s a number that is earned. The last to wear it was the great Rueben Bain in 2022. Bain, a dominant defensive lineman at Central, is now a force at the University of Miami.  

Before media day on Saturday morning, Rockets coach Jube Joseph handed the No. 4 jersey to linebacker Ezekiel “EJ” Marcelin, another impact defender who is committed to Miami.

The torch has been passed down from Bain to Marcelin, who was a sophomore when Bain was a senior. 

“It’s kind of déjà vu,” Joseph said. “You saw Rueben grow up into that mold. The same thing with [Marcelin]. You see him coming of age. I don’t really tell them what number jerseys they’re going to get. I usually let their summer workouts dictate what they wear.”

Joseph handed Marcelin the No. 4 jersey in the parking lot when the players arrived at media day.

“The No. 4 is coveted at Miami Central,” Joseph said. "It’s an honor to wear No. 4, because he’s exemplified and exhibited behaviors. Last year, I didn’t let anybody wear four, because I didn’t really feel like we had a person step up into that role. He always used to wear 17.”

Marcelin had 12 sacks last year, and 109 tackles, with 19 for losses. Now with 20 sacks in his career, the senior has earned No. 4.

“It’s just an honor to wear this number,” Marcelin said. “I’ve got to do my thing as I wear this number this season.”

3. Calvin Russell sticking solely to receiver

Miami Northwestern receiver Calvin Russell / Joe Frisaro

When you’re as physically talented as Calvin Russell, a junior football/basketball standout, it’s easy to find as many ways as possible to get the ball in his hands.  

A year ago, Miami Northwestern out of necessity used the 6-foot-5 then sophomore at quarterback, where he saw action in a couple of games, as well as receiver. 

Against Miami Central, in a 17-10 loss, Russell threw for 180 yards.

Entering 2024, new Bulls coach Teddy Bridgewater is striving to keep Russell mostly at receiver. For good reason, with his height and athleticism, he creates matchup problems.  

“This is my third head coach,” Russell said. “This year, Teddy Bridgewater is coming in, changing the whole mindset. Last year, we were getting there with the discipline [side]. But this year, we have a whole different mentality.”

Expectations are high at Northwestern, where the goal is to recapture the state title glory days. 

“Definitely, I want to show what I can do at receiver,” Russell said. “I showed glimpses and flashes, but I haven’t shown the full thing.”

Bridgewater, the former NFL quarterback in his first season as head coach, is stressing that this year is about the  players and the program. 

“He wants to make it known, it’s not about him, it’s about us,” Russell said. “This whole summer, the message has been: work, work, work.”

4. Busy workload expected for Columbus’ Bryce Fitzgerald

Columbus two-way star Bryce Fitzgerald / Joe Frisaro

Don’t expect to see Bryce Fitzgerald standing on the sidelines too often.  

“Bryce Fitzgerald will play both ways for us, receiver and DB,” coach Dave Dunn said. “We’re going to use him in more spots on defense. I think we’ll use him for more reps on offense.”

The two-time defending state champions are finding more ways to take advantage of the vast talents of Fitzgerald, a four-star safety who has yet to commit.

A year ago, Fitzgerald had five interceptions and caught five passes for 75 yards. 

“I did it my sophomore year at Belen,” Fitzgerald said of playing receiver and defensive back. “Coming back to it now, I feel like I have a big task, especially at a bigger school. I’ve got to be ready for it.”

Being able to take on the expanded role can be physically taxing. Dunn notes last year at times Fitzgerald was gassed when staying on the field too much.

This year, the senior standout is better prepared.

“I’m really confident,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve been working on it a lot. I’ve got the playbook down.”

Still to be resolved at Columbus is who will start at quarterback. Dunn said the candidates are seniors, Vicente Gonzalez and Jason Barket Jr. 

The past two years, Alberto Mendoza was the starting quarterback on two state championship teams. Before that, his brother, Fernando Mendoza was the QB. Both are playing college ball now.

“We’ve got to find a quarterback still,” Dunn said. “Which, obviously, we haven’t. We’ve had a Mendoza playing quarterback the last four years, which has been pretty good. Both are Division 1 players. Replacing those guys is of high importance. So far, it’s been good. I’ve been impressed with our work ethic and attention to detail. It’s pretty close. Both guys have a little bit of a different skill set.”

5. Homestead entrusting offense to Bubba Lewis

Homestead quarterback Malachi Lewis / Joe Frisaro

You don’t just replace a talent like Joshua Townsend, who led Homestead to back-to-back state championship games. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they ran into perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas. 

Now that Townsend, who threw for 3,533 yards and 42 touchdowns in 2023, has graduated, the quarterback position has turned over to Malachi “Bubba” Lewis, who moved in from New Jersey.

“Joshua Townsend, he set the bar so high,” Lewis said. “All I can do is just try my best. Shot out to Joshua Townsend, he’s my guy. Get the ball in my playmakers’ hands. We’ve got so many playmakers around me. … We’ve got a lot of weapons. I’m going to try to get the ball in their hands.”

The 6-foot-4, Youngstown State commit brings plenty of energy and enthusiasm. 

“He is a natural leader, and a natural quarterback,” Homestead coach Ronnie Thornton said. “He’s underrated. He comes from New Jersey, where he was overlooked. He comes with a chip on his shoulder. He came down with not very much going on, recruiting wise. He trusted the process, and trusted us, and he’s going to commit to Youngstown State.”