Rising up: Area football stars emerge on college and NFL scene

It never stops being thrilling to see names I once covered scroll across the ESPN score ticker.

It’s happening with more frequency this football season. That’s partly because I’ve been a reporter longer, but also because there’s been an influx of talent from this area lately. I’m going to give a rundown of some of the names I’ve seen, so you can follow them for the rest of the season.

Cardinal Mooney grad Bryce Williams, a freshman running back at the University of Minnesota, got an opportunity to shine under unfortunate circumstances. Gophers starting running back Rodney Smith suffered a knee injury in Minnesota’s second game of the season Sept. 14 against Fresno State that will sideline him for the rest of the season. It’s rough for Smith, but no one can blame Williams for taking advantage. He did so right away, rushing 25 times for 87 yards in that game, a 21-14 Gophers win. The next week, against the University of Miami (Ohio), Williams made an even bigger impact, racking up 144 yards on 33 carries in a 26-3 win.

Former Booker High wide receiver Osirus Mitchell, a redshirt sophomore at Mississippi State University, has three catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns over the Bulldogs’ first three games. That may not sound like a lot of catches, but Bulldog quarterbacks have only completed 42 passes on the season, and the team’s leader in catches has six. Mitchell’s 39.7 yards per catch average is the highest on the team.

Mitchell and Williams’ college careers have a lot of time left, but another area wide receiver is prepping for the next level. Former Sarasota High receiver Shawn Bane Jr., a senior at Northwest Missouri State (a top NCAA Division II program), is leading his team with 268 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches through three games. He also had an 88-yard punt return touchdown Sept. 15 against Missouri Southern University. The 5-foot-11, 170 pound Bane Jr. is the right size to be a slot receiver in the NFL, and popular scouting site NFL Draft Diamonds agrees. The site released a video highlighting Bane’s ability in August. Time will tell if Bane Jr. actually gets selected, but if he keeps putting up big numbers, he has a shot.

Another area player with a shot at the pros is Riverview grad Karan Higdon, a senior running back at the University of Michigan. Higdon, a team captain, didn’t play Sept. 15 in the Wolverines’ game against Southern Methodist, but had 34 carries for 228 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in the team’s previous two games. He was also named the team’s 2017 Offensive Player of the Year last season.

The University of South Florida is loaded with area talent, but some of it is waiting in the wings. One player in a starting role is offensive tackle Eric Mayes, a senior. He started all 12 of the Bulls’ games in 2017 and has played well in 2018, too. It’s tough to get a read on how a lineman is playing without breaking down the film, but the fact that coach Charlie Strong has played him in 15 consecutive games says he’s doing well. Riverview High grad Hal Roberson, a sophomore Bulls offensive lineman, also got a start, Sept. 15 against the University of Illinois, as did sophomore defensive tackle and Booker High grad Kelvin Pinkney Jr. He has nine total tackles on the season.

It’s not just college players making an impact either. Booker High grad Sam Shields, a cornerback, had been out of the league since 2016 because of concussion issues, but made his return with the Los Angeles Rams this year and collected his first interception since 2015 on Sept. 16 against the Arizona Cardinals. Not to mention Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack (Booker High grad) and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Richie James (Riverview High), both of whom have big futures in front of them.

I know I’m missing people, but unfortunately this column can’t be 1,000 words long. It seems like everyone is killing it this season. 

What I’m saying is, it’s a great time to be a Sarasota-area football fan. Every weekend for the rest of the year you can watch local guys tear it up and be the stars we knew they always had the potential to be.

What’s better than that?