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Fort Lauderdale, FL – Football Hotbed has grown to become one of the premier national platforms when it comes to showcasing talent on the youth level. The Future 4 and National Middle School Showcase is in its fifth year and has become bigger than ever. This year the annual event was held over a course of two days with the first at the University of Miami in Coral Gables and the second at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale.
During the first day, participants took part in position drills and one on one competitions with their peers in the new indoor practice facility for the Miami Hurricanes. Head Coach Manny Diaz spoke in the team meeting room introducing his coaching staff to the with the young athletes. 
Director of Recruiting for the Hurricanes David Cooney was present for the entire event and is looking to continue to solidify the pipeline from South Florida as well as other areas to “The U.”
“The event gets bigger and bigger every and it’s always well received by UM,” said Brandon Odoi Executive Director of Football Hotbed. “We want to thank the staff and the coaches at the University of Miami for an amazing partnership.”
Former head coach Mark Richt was the first coach to really embrace the idea of the annual camp, and under Richt’s regime the camp moved to Miami’s campus in Coral Gables. In that year, current high school standouts like four-star Jacorey Brooks (Miami Booker T. Washington), three-star Amari Daniels (Miami Central), four-star Hayden Conner (Taylor, TX), and Miami commit Laurence Seymour (Miami Central) were offered by the Miami Hurricanes after their performances at the showcase.
“The event has grown into the best middle school event in the country and for these kids, it’s a priceless experience at a world-class facility,” said Odoi.
The camp is open to all positions however there is a high emphasis put on the quarterback position. The Future 4 is a quarterback competition starting on day 1 of the camp and is completed on day 2 at Gibbons High.
Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler (Pinnacle, AZ) was the first winner of the Future 4 competition during former head coach Al Golden’s tenure. Rattler went on to win the Elite 11 which is considered the premier national competition for high school quarterbacks.
Previous winners of the Future 4 include Georgia Tech commit Tucker Gleason (Tampa Plant) and Nick Vattiato (University School, Davie FL). This years winner was Dante Moore out of Detroit, Michigan.
Dante Moore and Brandon Odoi
“It’s actually a very good camp,” said Moore. “[Players] should look forward to going to it. The coaches are pretty strict on the players making sure they get to the college level.”
The eighth-grader stands at 6’2 and weighs in at 165 pounds and already has offers from Michigan, FAU and Morgan State. Rounding out the Future 4 for 2023 was Colby Lamberth, Dylan Rick, and Collin Hurst.
From Left to Right: Colby Lamberth, Dante Moore, Dylan Rick, and Collin Hurst
The Hurricane coaching staff evaluated quarterbacks Moore and Lamberth in a recorded session during the camp. Drew Phillips known as the QB engineer and director of the Phillips QB Academy has a series of algorithms to determine the best quarterbacks during the competition.
“We measure completions to receivers, throws to physical targets, and combine drills and we take the averages of the scores from each to determine our Future 4,” said Phillips.
Future 4 quarterbacks for other classes:
2024
From Left to Right: Alessio Milivojevic, Russ Osborne, Knox Dyson, JJ Harding
2025
From Left to Right: Gavin Sidwar, Cooper Parker, Anthony Miller, TJ Wilcox
Thankful for the opportunity to COMPETE with the Elite….2019 Future 4 QB CHAMPION (2025) @Future4QB @FootballHotbed @CoachEarl_ @PlayBookAthlete @QBHitList @TheQBEngineer @Brandon_Odoi pic.twitter.com/b78j9FRkRQ
— TJ Wilcox (@TjWilcox12) April 27, 2019
2026
From Left to Right: Connor Quintero and Savvy Meassick
Award winners in Other Positions:
Best Overall Player
Santana Fleming
Best Athlete
Conrad Hussey
Best Wide Receiver
Lamar Seymore
Watch this sick catch by @lamargotfanz at the @FootballHotbed national middleschool invitational. Watch out for this kid in the future. pic.twitter.com/jxobHfFwFS
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) April 28, 2019
Best Linebacker
Willie Reed
Future @GibbonsFootball linebacker @WillieReedIII1 gets pass break up here and won the best linebacker award at the @FootballHotbed National Middle School Showcase on our home field. pic.twitter.com/37pBQ7nsTN
— Gibbons Football (@GibbonsFootball) May 1, 2019
Best Defensive Back
Isaiah Hardge
Best Running Back
Jamari Ford
Jamari Ford, USF’s Johnny Ford’s little brother is a varsity player for Miami Christian. The eighth grader. had a strong camp and earned an offer from Marshall Tuesday.
Offered: @durockgetlive received an offer from Marshall today. The 2023 RB had a great camp this weekend with #hotbedworld at the 🙌🏿 pic.twitter.com/tf01lDyAIY
— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) April 30, 2019
Best Overall Lineman
Lashaun Stephen
Check out the strong finish from our offensive lineman MVP at the @FootballHotbed national middle school showcase. pic.twitter.com/HZL1WaIzRx
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) May 1, 2019
See Photos From the Future 4 and National Middle School Showcase
