American Heritage Football: Top players to watch in 2024

Over the past decade-plus, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage has become a breeding ground for some of Florida’s most-wanted high school football recruits.

The Patriots have won five state championships since 2013, including four of five between 2013 and 2017. The program has produced Division I talent at an impressive clip, including three NFL first-rounders over the past decade.

Their 2024 roster includes more than a half-dozen national recruits, featuring commits to Texas, Florida State and Miami. Below are five American Heritage players ready to make a big impact this season:

QB Dia Bell (2026)

The son of former NBA standout Raja Bell, Dia Bell has been on the scene as one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits for the past few years. He played primarily a backup role in 2022 as a freshman, completing 13 of 21 pass attempts for 317 yards with 4 TD and 2 INT in 9 games. He really jumped onto the scene as a sophomore in 2023, completing 65 percent of his passes while throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns despite the Patriots employing a run-heavy offense. The Texas-bound QB has a chance to cement himself as one of the nation’s best signal-callers with a big junior season in 2024.

WR Brandon Bennett (2026)

Playing alongside dynamic Miami wide receiver commit Malachi Toney last season, Bennett turned in an impressive line as a sophomore: 21 catches, 479 yards and five touchdowns. This year, he’ll be expected to take on an even bigger role, and he top-100 national recruit looks primed to do just that.

RB Byron Louis

Louis has been extremely productive over the past two years for Heritage. As a sophomore in 2022, he backed up current Miami running back Mark Fletcher, toting the rock 55 times for 439 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a junior, he stepped into the No. 1 back role and and rushed 160 times for 1,224 yards and 18 touchdowns. The one-two punch of he and Bell will be a major challenge for defenses to handle.

SAF Gregory Thomas

Thomas already looks the part of a college football player, and the Florida State commit has backed it up on the field. After a junior season where he totaled 19 tackles and two interceptions in 10 games from his safety spot, he’ll be looking to build on that in 2024.

WR Malachi Toney

Toney was American Heritage’s most consistent pass-catching weapon during his junior year, hauling in 49 receptions for 773 yards and eight touchdowns — more than 40% of quarterback Dia Bell’s completions. Alongside Brandon Bennett, he’ll create one of the most feared receiver duos in the state for Bell to spread the ball around to this season.