FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Jerry Jeudy doesn’t like to compare himself to anyone else.
That’s OK, though. Others are doing the comparing for him, and, so far, it’s been highly flattering for Jeudy, a 6-1, 180-pounder from Deerfield Beach (Florida).
According to rivals.com, Jeudy is the No. 9 receiver in the nation and No. 2 in talent-rich South Florida, trailing only Trevon Grimes of St. Thomas Aquinas.
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Jeudy and Grimes were two of the six players who received invitations to the Nike Opening Final after the regional event held Sunday at American Heritage (Plantation).
“My speed and my ability to get open,” Jeudy said when asked why he is ranked so high. “But I don’t compare myself to nobody. I just do me.”
That formula is working just fine as Jeudy, a four-star recruit for the Class of 2017, has more than 30 scholarship offers. He said he’s open to the process, but added that Notre Dame and Clemson have been coming on strong.
Jeudy is a coveted prospect because he has the ability to separate from defensive backs and also to separate in terms of his ranking.
Still, Jeudy knows he has work to do to get ready for college. He mentioned on Sunday that he wants to get out of his breaks faster, and he wants to improve his hands.
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Jeudy said he knows that elite competition is not far from his doorstep – and it’s not just Grimes. Of the top nine rising senior receivers in the state, four are from Florida.
And there’s plenty of depth at the position in the Sunshine State. Look no further than the Deerfield Beach huddle that Jeudy will share this fall with Lavarus Tigner, a 6-2, 185-pound three-star recruit.
“I come out here (Nike camp) to prove a point,” said Tigner, a rising senior who has Florida and Auburn as his top two college choices. “I’m the best.”
Jeudy has his own opinion on that subject, even if he keeps those thoughts more closely guarded.
But there’s no doubt that in Florida, which is known for speedy wide receivers and equally speedy defensive backs, you have to prove yourself virtually every camp, every practice and every game.
“Whoever steps up,” Jeudy said of the defensive back he wants to test himself against. “I’m ready.”