by: Daniel Almira
With National Signing Day 23 days away, it’s time to look ahead to the 2013 recruiting class. Linebacker looks to be Florida State’s biggest need on the defensive side of the ball. Michael Deeb of American Heritage High School down in Plantation, Fl could be one of the guys heavy on Florida State’s radar. TomahawkNation recently caught up with the 6’2" 235-pound phenom.
American Heritage is one of the premier football high schools down in Broward County. When asked about how American Heritage did in the playoffs, Deeb said, "We lost in the first round to Miami Jackson and didn't play the way we would have liked to." American Heritage also has 2014 Sophomore phenom Sony Michel on their roster. When asked about his relationship with Sony, he said: "Sony and I are close and have (mutual) respect for each other. We push each other in the weight room and he makes me a better player on the field."
As with any high school football recruits recruitment, spring of Junior year is the time in which many plans are set and recruiting heats up. This is no different with Deeb. He told me about his plans for the upcoming summer. "I plan to attend a couple camps and visit the colleges I have most interest in or at least learn more about them outside of football," he said. Expect for him to receive many offers. He flies to the ball extremely well and has a high football IQ (calls plays for his defense). He projects very well on the inside.
So just who is Deeb as a person? The most interesting aspect of his game is the leadership that he provides to the field. He was captain of the defense both his sophomore and junior year. "Ethics is very important. I believe having good morals and faith in something improves your potential as a person and athlete," Deeb said. He told me that the thing he wants to improve on more than anything is his relationship with his friends and family. School also comes first with Deeb. He plans to major in business in college.
I told you all that his sister is currently at Florida State and expected to graduate this spring. So does Deeb have Florida State as his favorite in his recruitment? Apparently not. He told me that his father went to the University of Miami and his mother to the University of Florida. Don’t expect him to be very closed minded to any of the big three Florida schools. Some of the other schools recruiting him include Wisconsin, Ohio State, Texas Tech and Georgia Tech. He also received his first offer from South Florida yesterday.
Deeb has plans to visit Florida State again this summer. He should be a player to look out for on the recruiting trail. Check out his film after the jump.