It’s that time of the year again where the Friday Night Lights are bright and prospects across the country are starting the high school football season.
Like the past years Gator Country is going to do a preview every Thursday for all of the Florida Gators commits and on Monday we will do a full recap including stats and notes from the past weeks’ games.
This year we are going to also highlight the key players to watch in the game that aren’t Florida Gators commits but rather targets or just big names in the game.
Also, we will give you a few games that involve Florida Gators targets from the Class of 2022 to watch as well.
Week 8 preview
2022 commits
Receiver Isaiah Bond (5-10, 175, Buford, GA. Buford)
Matchup: Buford (5-1) plays host Shiloh on Friday night.
Yearly Stats: Bond has 14 catches for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns this year. Bond also returned a kick for a touchdown.
Notes: Buford has been dominant this year.
Athlete Jamarrien Burt (6-1, 175, Ocala, FL. Forest)
Matchup: Forest (2-4) plays host to Leon on Friday night.
Yearly Stats: Burt has a touchdown catch on the year.
Notes: Forest is looking to build on last week’s win.
Offensive lineman David Conner (6-6, 270, Deerfield Beach, FL. High)
Matchup: Deerfield Beach (4-2) plays host to Coral Springs on Thursday.
Yearly Stats: N/A
Notes: Deerfield Beach is coming off a big win last week.
Quarterback Nick Evers (6-3, 188, Flower Mound, TX. High)
Matchup: Flower Mound (2-4) plays host to Plano East on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Evers is 95-180 for 1379 yards passing this year with 9 touchdowns. Evers has also added 294 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Notes: Evers returned to action last week.
Offensive lineman Jalen Farmer (6-5, 325, Covington, GA. Eastside)
Matchup: Eastside (4-3) has a bye week this week.
Yearly Stats: N/A
Notes: N/A
Running back Terrance Gibbs (6-0, 190, Winter Park, FL. High)
Matchup: Winter Park (5-2) has a bye week.
Yearly Stats: Gibbs is not expected to play on Friday night.
Notes: Gibbs has not played this year.
Receiver Jayden Gibson (6-5, 185, Winter Garden, FL. West Orange)
Matchup: West Orange (6-1) will travel to take on Celebration.
Yearly Stats: Gibson has 32 catches for 512 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Notes: Gibson committed to Florida on Wednesday.
Defensive back Julian Humphrey (6-1, 185, Houston, TX. Clear Lake)
Matchup: Clear Lake (3-3) travels to take on Clear Falls on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Humphries has 14 tackles and a fumble recovery this year.
Notes: Clear Lake will take on a good Clear Falls teams.
Linebacker Shemar James (6-2, 212, Mobile, AL. Faith Academy)
Matchup: Faith Academy (3-5) host to Satsuma on Friday night.
Yearly Stats: James has 3 touchdowns on the year.
Notes: James injured his ankle last week.
Linebacker EJ Lightsey (6-2, 210, Fitzgerald, GA. High)
Matchup: Fitzgerald (6-1) travels to take on Worth County Friday night.
Yearly Stats: N/A
Notes: N/A
Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons (6-4, 295, Melbourne, FL. Viera)
Matchup: Viera (4-1) will travel to take on Cocoa on Friday night.
Yearly Stats: Lyons has 51 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss and 8 sacks on the year.
Notes: Lyons has had a good year so far this year.
Offensive lineman Tony Livingston (6-4, 260, Tampa, FL. King)
Matchup: King (1-5) will travel to take on Middleton on Friday.
Yearly Stats: N/A
Notes: Livingston is not expected to play on Friday.
Defensive lineman Francois Nolton (6-4, 225, Miami, FL. Edison)
Matchup: Edison (3-2) travels to take on Central on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Nolton has 10 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles this year.
Notes: N/A
Kicker Trey Smack (6-2, 200, Severna Park, MD. High)
Matchup: Severna Park (5-1) will travel to take on Broadneck on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Smack is perfect this year on PAT’s as he’s 12-12 on the year.
Notes: Severna Park is 5-1 on the year.
Receiver Chandler Smith (6-1, 180, Orlando, FL. Bishop Moore)
Matchup: Bishop Moore (2-4) travels to take on Seabreeze on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Smith has 11 catches for 157 yards, he also added 13 yards rushing on the year.
Notes: Smith will not play the rest of the season.
2023 commits
Receiver Raymond Cottrell (6-2, 203, Milton, FL. High)
Matchup: Milton (3-3) will host Pine Forest on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Cottrell has 38 catches for 607 yards and four touchdowns on the year. Cottrell also has two rushing touchdowns on the year.
Notes: Cottrell has two touchdowns that went for over 70 yards.
Defensive back Aaron Gates (6-0, 180, Sharsburg, GA. Trinity)
Matchup: Trinity Christian (7-0) has a bye week this week.
Yearly Stats: Gates has 18 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Gates also has seven tackles this season.
Notes: Trinity Christian continues to roll this year.
Receiver Darren Lawrence (6–2, 190, Seminole, FL. Sanford)
Matchup: Sanford (6-1) travels to take on Oviedo on Friday.
Yearly Stats: Lawrence has 8 carries for 20 yards and three touchdowns, 11 catches for 196 yards and two touchdown catches this year.
Notes: Sanford lost for the first time last week.
Tight end Mac Markway (6-4, 250, St. Louis, MO. DeSmet)
Matchup: DeSmet (5-2) will host St. Louis University on Friday.
Yearly Stats: N/A
Notes: N/A