High School

Dereon Coleman, Miami commit, throws 99-yard touchdown in dominant win over Seminoles

During a 43-21 preseason victory over Seminole (Florida), Coleman threw for four touchdowns, including a 99-yard strike

Andrew Nemec

Jones Tigers quarterback Dereon Coleman.
Jones Tigers quarterback Dereon Coleman. / Dereon Coleman Hudl

Class of 2026 Jones (Florida) four-star quarterback Dereon Coleman clearly understands the assignment.

The 6-foot, 170-pound signal-caller, a Miami Hurricanes pledge, is already putting a hurtin' on the Seminoles.

On Saturday during a 43-21 preseason victory over Seminole (Florida), Coleman threw for four touchdowns, including a 99-yard strike that proved to be one of the highlights on high school football nationwide this weekend:

Coleman is rated the nation's No. 317 overall prospect and No. 21 quarterback in the class of 2026, but his stock continues to rise.

The in-state passer committed to Miami in early July, choosing the Hurricanes over offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, TCU, Texas A&M and others.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Quick-twitched passer with a live arm. Lacks the desired measurables, but can generate plenty of velocity with a lighting-quick release. Got varsity snaps as an eighth grader, but really made a name for himself as a sophomore in one of Florida’s higher classifications. Likes to pick defenses apart from the pocket and can flick the ball into the deeper third with ease. Tends to serve up a fastball, but in-person evaluations suggest that he can use touch on occasion to drop balls over coverage. Explosive lower half allows him to get away from pressure, but needs to improve internal clock and add some body armor. Should be viewed as one of the polarizing signal callers in the 2026 cycle given the combination of high-powered arm and suboptimal frame. Likely to find most success on Saturdays in an up-tempo spread attack."

It's still early for final analysis regarding class of 2026 prospects, but the early debate has centered on whether or not Coleman is considered a truly "elite" quarterback.

So far, he's off to a great start proving major criticism unfounded.

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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