Recruiting for college football: who caught the eye at Under Armour Miami camp?
IVES ESTATES, Fla. — In a state like Florida, the best recruits have usually found their ways to the top high school programs and have been identified as the next big things well before their junior years.
Floyd Boucard is one of those exceptions.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Canadian-born defensive tackle, who grew up playing hockey, transferred from a small private school in Mobile, Ala., to nine-time state champion Miami Central High School recently so he could get more exposure.
Mission accomplished.
Sunday, Boucard took home the defensive line MVP honor from the Under Armour Next Football Camp Series in Miami, and his phone has been blowing up ever since
USC and Penn State are the two latest Power 5 schools to offer him scholarships, and with official visits already lined up to Louisville (June 1), Michigan State (June 7) and Oklahoma (June 15), his recruitment is catching fire faster than his standing in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Boucard is still unranked by 247Sports and ESPN, and still listed as a three-star by On3 and Rivals. All of that is likely to change soon.
“He was up in Alabama, and we’d heard about him, we’d seen his tape and everything, had him as a mid-to-high three-star, but he obviously looked super complete. His body looks college-ready right now,” said John Garcia Jr., a national college football recruiting analyst for Rivals.
“I think he’s probably the biggest stock-up type from the camp.”
Boucard racked up 85 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in helping Mobile Christian win the Alabama 3A state title last season.
Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services said Boucard reminds him of former Florida State All-American and 2006 first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley, a similarly built nose tackle who spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Eagles, Broncos and Saints. Boucard impressed Fishbein and other analysts with the strength of his hands and how easily he tossed offensive linemen aside at the camp.
“He’s still a little raw, but he’s extremely active with his hands, has a nice low center of gravity,” said Andrew Ivins, the director of scouting for 247Sports.
Boucard said he’s interested in stopping by USF this spring. He said Miami, Florida State and Florida are talking to him, but none of the state’s three national championship programs have offered him a scholarship yet.
“They’re taking their time and trying to see if I’m built for this down here,” Boucard said. “Bama and South Florida aren’t the same speed. They’re trying to see if I’m up to the level. I want to show them I’m up for anything.”
Of the 128 defensive linemen ranked in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2025, 16 play high school football in the state of Florida. The top two Floridians — both ranked in the overall top 100 — are already committed: four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson (Florida State) of Cocoa and four-star tackle Jalen Wiggins (Florida) from Tallahassee Rickards High.
The top-ranked 2025 defensive linemen at Sunday’s UA Miami camp included four-star Myron Charles (No. 159) of Port Charlotte and three-star edge rushers Romando Johnson (No. 589) of Coconut Creek Monarch and Darryll Desir (No. 589) of Miami Norland. Boucard outshined them all.
Said Larry Blustein, who has covered recruiting in Florida since 1970: “A lot of people like Charles because he’s 6-5, 270. Boucard and Wiggins are probably the two best defensive tackle-types I’ve seen in the state. It’s not a deep position.”
Of the 55 blue-chippers ranked in the 247Sports Composite from Florida this cycle, only four play offensive line.
The top-ranked offensive lineman at Sunday’s camp was three-star offensive tackle Caleb Harris, a USF commitment who plays at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. Harris and Kerby Vital, a 2026 interior offensive lineman from West Boca Raton, won the offensive line MVP awards.
Receivers, defensive backs stand out
The deepest positions in terms of blue-chip talent in the state for the 2025 cycle once again are receiver and defensive back. There are 12 blue-chip receivers and 15 defensive backs.
Five-star cornerback DJ Pickett of Zephyrhills is widely considered the No. 1 player in the state regardless of position. Former Alabama commitment Jaime Ffrench of Jacksonville Mandarin and Oregon commitment Dallas Wilson from Tampa Bay Tech are the state’s two five-star receivers this cycle.
