USF’s 2020 football class received big news on Saturday when highly coveted OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis gave his verbal pledge to the Bulls. Additionally, earlier in the day athletic JUCO WR Da’Quan Bailey-Brown from Dodge City CC also committed to USF. Lewis’ pledge started a domino effect, as shortly thereafter Columbia HS teammates WR Marquez Bell and LB Le’Vontae Camiel also commited to USF.

OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis

The athletic OT from Trinity Catholic, who held offers from Auburn, LSU, Florida, and Michigan, committed to USF and becomes the highest current member of the #20Strong class.

High School: Trinity Catholic High School, Ocala, FL

Recruiting Rankings (for now): Four-star by Rivals, Three-star by 247.

Other Notable Offers: Florida, Auburn, LSU, Michigan.

Ocala Area Recruiter Kerwin Bell, but The Daily Stampede found out that Jeremy Darveau was the primary recruiter.

After flirting with LSU and Michigan, it looks like Miller found his home an hour south of Ocala, telling TDS:

“The opportunities that USF offers me both on and off the field are why I made the choice...I have made quite a few trips to campus and every time I was there, it was like I was at home. I have been looking for the place where I knew I could be successful with or without football and USF is where I found that.”

Miller is listed as an offensive tackle and guard, but will play OT in college. His highlights are littered with him pancaking defensive players and showcasing his powerful driving ability. While it is sometimes hard to judge an offensive linemen at the high school level, there’s no doubting his ability to get off the line quickly, whether it’s run blocking or pass blocking.

When asked about his biggest assets, Lewis added “My foot speed and football IQ”, which are two of the most important strengths an OT can have. Please enjoy this quintessential offensive tackle film found below:

WR Da’Quan Bailey-Brown

The Speedy JUCO WR, originally from Florida, spent some time in Kansas before using his second chance to come back the Sunshine State.

High School: Stoneman Douglas High School, Coral Spring, FL.

JUCO: Dodge City Community College, Dodge City, KA.

Recruiting Rankings (for now): Unranked currently, not listed coming out of HS.

Other Notable Offers: N/A

Not much is known about Bailey-Brown from the recruiting outlets, but having another speedy WR will always be useful. Bailey-Brown played in 11 games last season for Dodge City, where he caught 12 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He can also catch a pass while doing a backflip:

Bailey-Brown was the kick returner for Dodge City, where he racked up 606 yards in kick returns. His strength is clearly his speed, but his route running is also a huge asset, which can be a deadly combination for a defensive back. If you press him, he’ll beat you over the top, with a DB playing soft coverage and giving him a cushion, he can catch an easy curl route. He’ll need to work on developing an expansive route tree, to develop into a primary receiver, but his speed will most certainly have him seeing early playing time.

ATH Marquez Bell

The second of the Columbia Trio gave his verbal to USF after fighting off some late pushes by some power 5 schools.

High School: Columbia High School, Lake City, FL

Recruiting Rankings (for now): Three-star by Rivals and 247.

Other Notable Offers: Arkansas, Penn State, Nebraska, Virginia Tech.

Jacksonville Area Recruiter: Paul Spicer, Kerwin Bell was a secondary recruiter according to Rivals.

USF picked up yet another speedy skill player from North East Florida, joining Tyree Saunders from First Coast, and Jordan Smith, his QB from Columbia High School. Bell spent his sophomore year at Columbia as a “do it all” player for the Tigers, having a hand on special teams, playing wide receiver, and running back. However, during his junior season, he was primarily focused on wide receiver, a position he most certainly will play at USF. Last season, Bell had 52 receptions for 1,044 yards (TWENTY YARDS A CATCH!) and 13 touchdowns.

Aside from his speed, he posseses a pair of sure hands, and can catch a ball in stride with ease. For him to excel at the next level, he’s going to need to work on his route running, as there are times he’s sluggish coming out of a break.

LB Le’Vontae Camiel

The last one to commit to USF on Saturday evening is a teammate of Marquez Bell and Jordan Smith, completing the Columbia Trio.

High School: Columbia High School, Lake City, FL

Recruiting Rankings (for now): Two-star by Rivals, Three-star by 247.

Other Notable Offers: Appalachian State, South Alabama, Cincinnati, Colorado State.

Jacksonville Area Recruiter: Paul Spicer.

The Columbia Trio helped lead the Tigers to a 10-2 season last year before falling to Lee High School in the second round of the state playoffs. Camiel is a speedy OLB with a variety of moves to beat opposing offensive tackles. He has great closing speed and backfield vision to locate a ball carrier quickly, and meet them along the line of scrimmage.

His film is riddled with him getting into the backfield, so I'd imaging he will most likely transition to a DE at the college level. His game reminds me of how Greg Reaves plays, and will need to get bigger in his senior season to bulk up to that level.

It’s clear the future for USF is speed, and it looks like the coaching staff is dialed in to #PlayFastScoreFaster.

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2020 Verbal Commits

• Tampa Gaither LB Chance Coleman
• Braden River RB Brian Battie
• Gainesville DT Gentle Hunt
• Lake City Columbia QB Jordan Smith
• Jacksonville First Coast WR Tyree Saunders