Spring football practices start Monday for high schools around the state, and the annual evaluation of talent and position battles begins as teams retake the field.
Alone at the top
With top recruits Byron Cowart, Ray Ray McCloud III and Deon Cain moving on to the college football ranks, some of the best talent in Tampa Bay will be noticeably absent. What remains, however, is Tampa Catholic wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers.
Craig-Myers, who arrived at Tampa Catholic from Pasco High in January 2014 only to break his fibula in the Crusaders' season-opening game, has yet to play a complete contest for Tampa Catholic. But when he does, he'll likely be a game changer.
The five-star Auburn commit is ranked the top wide receiver in the country and No. 5 player overall for the class of 2016. And as the only player in ESPN's top 300 attending a Tampa Bay school, the pressure to perform will sit squarely on him.
Oladokun's new home
USF commit Chris Oladokun promises to be one of the area's top quarterbacks for 2015, but he'll be playing in an entirely new environment.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound pro-style quarterback transferred to Sickles from Alonso less than two weeks ago. With a returning offensive line that has experience blocking for Hillsborough County's all-time leading rusher, McCloud, Sickles might be a better spot for Oladokun. The Alonso offensive line struggled to block for the quarterback at times last season. At Sickles, though, Oladokun's pass-first style might be tweaked.
Sickles coach Brian Turner said he doesn't plan to change his run-heavy offense, even with McCloud gone and the addition of Oladokun, who threw for 3,646 yards in two seasons. But Turner is excited about what Oladokun's arrival could mean for his offense and the athletes who could be on the receiving end of the three-star recruit's solid arm.
State streak
Four of Armwood's past five seasons have ended in the state championship game, with the Hawks winning it all in 2011 (later nullified for ineligible players). But with much of its nationally ranked defense from last season gone, can Armwood do it again?
The Hawks will graduate defensive end Cowart, the nation's top 2015 recruit, according to Rivals and ESPN, and three-star linebacker Jordan Griffin, who has led the Hawks in tackles each of the past two seasons. But even after losing top talent in the past, Armwood has always seemed to find a way.
The Hawks will return key members of last year's squad in defensive lineman Justin Manning and linebacker Kyheem Campbell, and eyes will be on rising sophomore running back Brian Snead, who had just 195 yards on 34 carries last year, but recently received an offer from Florida.
Running of the Bulls
Under new coach Brian Surcy, Bloomingdale excelled last season, reaching the playoffs for the first time in school history and running a balanced offense with Isaiah McIntyre under center. With leading receivers Logan Crouse and Doug Sandberg graduating, though, Bloomingdale might do a lot more damage on the ground.
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Explore all your optionsMcIntyre, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound recruit who picked up his first offer from USF on Tuesday, rushed for 528 yards and three touchdowns last season while transfer Fred McCoy IV contributed 394 yards. All of this came just one year after the Bulls had a nearly futile effort on the ground, rushing for a total of 772 yards during the 2013 season.
Jesuit to be tested
For the past two seasons, Jesuit has been the powerhouse of a three-team district, only having to beat out one other team for a spot in the state playoffs. During the offseason, the state was redistricted, and the Tigers could face an uphill battle for the postseason. Jesuit is still in a district with Middleton and Spoto, but Robinson and Jefferson have also been added. Spoto could be even better than it was last year in its breakout season, and with up-and-coming quarterback Cade Weldon under center, Jefferson will be able to compete for a spot, too.
Plant's experience
The four-time state champion Panthers made an unusual early exit from the playoffs last season, falling to Orlando Dr. Phillips in the second round. What the Panthers have to look forward to, though, is the return of a wealth of experience, especially on the defensive side.
Plant returns four of its top five tacklers, including breakout linebacker Joe Ryan, who finished with 144 tackles, 52 for losses. On the offensive side, quarterback Rex Culpepper will see his second season under center as the Panthers' starter, and athlete Tykese Keaton-Baldwin could have a bigger role on the offense with leading rusher Patrick Brooks graduating.
Staff writer Kelly Parsons can be reached at kaparsons@tampabay.com. Follow @_kellyparsons.