The Hurricanes have cracked the RivalsHigh 100, landing at No. 36.
Dallas Jackson, a senior analyst at RivalsHigh, writes that experience will be Manatee's greatest strength, especially since injuries last season to guys like Mike Blakely, Drakkar Wilson and Quinton Pompey pushed a lot of players into action quicker than expected.
"With a demanding schedule this season," Jackson writes in Manatee's capsule, "...that experience should be prove to be invaluable."
Experienced starters such as defensive back Clinton Heaven and linebacker Darius White anchor a defense that lost three starters off the line, while running back Leon Allen, who was ineligible last year but rushed for 94 yards in the spring game, should help offset the loss of Blakely.
Wide receiver Anthony Lauro was effective when healthy last year, and defensive lineman Derrick Calloway, who appeared in just six games last year, has already earned a scholarship offer from USF.
And of course there is quarterback Cord Sandberg, who burst on to the scene as a sophomore last year and propelled himself right on to the national radar.
"The talent is there," Jackson writes, "and coach Joe Kinnan has done just about everything a coach can do in a career."
Jackson does point to Manatee's schedule, however, which includes games against national powers such as Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) and Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), as well as local rivals such as Riverview, Southeast, Palmetto and Venice.
"A team that can make a dramatic move up (or down) with its schedule," he wrote on RivalsHigh's Twitter page.
Manatee opens its regular season Sept. 2 at Good Counsel, which Jackson listed at No. 54.
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