The opening weekend of the 2025 college football season will certainly shine a spotlight on south Florida.
While Miami and Notre Dame will take center stage on Sunday night, there are two other games locally that will showcase local talent as HBCU schools Bethune Cookman University will head south to play Florida International University on Friday night.
On Saturday at 4 p.m., it will be the annual Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium, featuring Howard University and Florida A&M University in what promises to be a quality matchup.
Howard University head coach Larry Scott (Sebring), a former University of Miami interim head coach and Co-offensive coordinator Brett Kean (NSU University School) lead the way for the Bison with Jason Seraphin (DL, North Miami Beach).
Florida A&M is stacked with local prospects – with head coach James Colzie III and assistant coach Kevin Maurice leading the way.
Among the locals who play for the Rattlers are former Miami Hurricane Thad Franklin Jr. (RB, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna), Jalen Rogers (WR, Miami Northwestern), Simeon Hines (S, Fort Lauderdale Dillard), Caleb McKenzie (DB, Miami Central), Justice Cross (LB, Deerfield Beach), Corey Collier Jr. (DB, Miami Palmetto), JayQuan Reid (WR, Miami Southridge), Ah’Mare Lee (DB, North Miami Beach), T.J. Huggins (DB, Miami Killian), and Jordan Cumberbatch (DB, Miramar).
There are also prospects such as Gabriel Perez (PK, Miami Southridge), Kareem Maycock (LB, Miami Northwestern), Vershod Quinn (RB, Miami Christopher Columbus), Kyjuan Taylor (RB, Miami Lakes Barbara Goleman), Malcolm Major (LB, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna), Samuel Mitchell IV (DL, Davie Western), Caleb Riley (OL, Miami Norland), Michael Marshall (OL, Miami Northwestern), Ricky Taylor (OL, Miami Northwestern), Jeremy Fishkin (OL, Parkland Douglas), and Vinh Quain (LS, Miramar Everglades).
BETHUNE COOKMAN HEADS SOUTH
While Howard and FAMU will play in the Orange Blossom Classic, Friday night will see Bethune Cookman University open the Willie Simmons era at Florida International University of Friday night.
Head Coach Raymond Woodie, no stranger to the state of Florida and Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, brings his Wildcats in to open the season.
The Bethune Cookman coaching staff also has a south Florida flair with Otis Mounds (Fort Lauderdale Dillard), Brandon Washington (Miami Northwestern), and Robert Wimblerley (Miami).
The Wildcats also have players such as Jaden Williams (S, Plantation), Juan Rodriguez (RB, Miami Norland), Willie Anderson (WR, Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace), Cameron Anderson (S, Miami Northwestern), Gabriel Cash (LB, Miami Norland), Teko Shoats (OL, Miami Central), William Gedeon (OL, Coconut Creek Monarch), Melvin Puckett (OL, Coconut Creek Monarch), Tarrell Short Jr. (WR, Miami Central), and Jahem Guillaume (WR, Miami Carol City).
Other Wildcats from the area include William Roberts III (TE, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas), Wistanson Mathurin (TE, Coconut Creek Monarch), Lewon Lurry Jr. (DE, Miami Northwestern), and Dairo Melendez Jr. (Miami Immaculata LaSalle).
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