Hotbed Exposure Showcase (Orlando): The MVPs

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Marcus Benjamin

Kissimmee, FL — Collectively all football fans and enthusiasts alike are desperate for football in some form or fashion.  The question of having a high school football season in the state of Florida this year is one that causes a state of nausea for most.

Saturday, Football Hotbed gave the people what they wanted, football.  The organization’s Exposure Showcase drew close to 200 participants to the Austin-Tindell Sports Complex in Central Florida.  Young football players participated in combine-like drills and had a chance to compete in one-on-ones with their peers.  At the end of the day, the coaches made the tough decision on who would receive the most valuable player honors for each position, and with the vast amount of talent on display, choosing MVPs was a difficult decision.   

Quarterback MVP

Collin Hurst, (Davie, FL) 2023

The young budding quarterback can do more than just run the football apparently.  In a competition that included every possible quarterback metric except for scrambling out of the pocket for first downs (which Hurst has done in games last season), Hurst excelled to the highest degree. The sophomore can generate velocity on the run and throws a beautiful deep ball. 

Running Back MVP

Darriel Davis, (Bartow, FL) 2021 

Davis is an underrated prospect that has the intangibles to be a solid running back on the D-1 level.  The senior was the most consistent running back among the participants and can hurt defenders emotionally with his quickness and agility.  Davis was impressive in one on one drills consistently beating his defenders to the cone with his speed and keeping the opposition off-balance with stutter-step moves.  

Wide Receiver MVP

Q’Zorian Kennedy, (The Villages, FL) 2025

The 14-year old is fun to watch.  Kennedy has the given ability to run routes much like Jacorey Brooks (now at IMG Academy) did at a young age.  The eighth-grader got open every time in one-on-ones and seems to have a thirst to get better with each and every snap.  High schoolers could not keep up with him so imagine what he does against his peers.

Defensive Back MVP

Jacory Walker, (Kissimmee, FL) 2023

This award was a tough one to call but the coaches did decide that Walker would get the honor for best defensive back.  Walker has plenty of upside and seems to excel in bump and run coverage which will translate well on the next level.  

Linebacker MVP

Demario Tolen, (Orlando, FL) 2022

On a day when there were plenty of high-level athletes on the playing field, Tolen emerged as one of the best.  The junior has great balance and accelerates to pounce on the opposition with the kind of tenacity a coach would love to see on the field.  Tolen should be a solid contributor on the next level with a year to ascend to an even higher plateau.

Defensive Line MVP

Tyquan Isaac (Orlando, FL) 2022

The junior by any means necessary got to the pylon in one-on-one drills. Isaac has a solid base to build on and can be effective on the inside or outside of the line depending on how his frame fills out.  The swim move seems to be his preferred style of attack and when he adds more moves to his arsenal, he could be a huge problem for offensive lines in years to come.  

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Co-Offensive Line MVPs

Zachary Rinehart (Davie, FL) 2021

Rinehart is as tough as they come on the O-Line and seems to excel at the center position.  The senior was immovable in one-on-one drills and has good footwork in tight spaces. 

Cole Best, (Winter Park, FL) 2021

Best can play a variety of positions on the offensive line.  He is currently being recruited to play guard but the senior can play center or tackle on a high level.  He has quick feet and uses his hands to maul his adversaries.  The senior was arguably the most polished O-Lineman at the showcase that could start day 1 on a D-1 football team.

Fastest Man

DeAndre Knighten (Frostproof, FL) 2021

Knighten is a physical corner that has the speed to stay with anyone on any day.  He won the fastest man competition by a nose, but the fastest is the fastest and if you are crowned fastest in Florida that’s faster than most if not all.

About Marcus Benjamin

Marcus Benjamin works as the senior writer and editor for FootballHotbed.com. He attended Florida A&M and Florida Memorial University completing a bachelors degree in communications in 2010. He's covered high school football in the South Florida area since 2010 for the Miami Herald, Miami Sports Tribune and ShawSports.net. He is married and lives in Fort, Lauderdale, FL.
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