2022 4-star CB Earl Little Jr., who is the son of Miami Hurricanes alum Earl Little, has slowly been moving out from under his father’s shadow to become a respected presence on the local scene in his own right. Thus far, American Heritage (FL) star has landed 34 offers, including from Miami, LSU, Alabama, UGA, and Florida among others.
Little Jr. started at CB as a junior for the 2020 American Heritage squad that won the 5A state title in Florida and went 11-2 on the season. He tallied 35 tackles and 2 interceptions even while missing 4 games due to a hamstring injury.
“Playing down here in South Florida, you’re going to have to compete every week. You have to bring your ‘A’ game. I’m a competitor - I get after anything and everything,” Little Jr. said. “I’m going to bring that swag and that dog mentality. You’re not going to get that from anyone else from another state. We’re different in Florida.”
Long before his strong junior season, though, Little Jr. was earning attention from the hometown Hurricanes, as he landed his UM offer over a year before back in October of 2019.
“It’s a blessing,” Little Jr. said of his UM offer. “I’ve always been a Miami fan, it’s my hometown school. My dad played there, which makes it special. I’m blessed to have received an offer from the University of Miami.”
With the hiring of DB coach Travaris Robinson and CB coach DeMarcus Van Dyke at UM over the offseason, Little Jr. would potentially be an addition to a position group that is in very experienced hands. Robinson has long coached and developed NFL talent in the SEC, while Van Dyke was a former CB for Miami himself who also played in the NFL.
“I’ve been talking with coach T-Rob, coach Van Dyke, and coach (Manny) Diaz,” Little Jr. said. “It’s a blessing being able to talk with coach T-Rob, who is one of the top coaches in the nation. When I talk with coach Diaz, we talk about life besides football. He checks up on my family and me, he asks how I’m doing, and how school is.”
While the 6’0” 175-pound prospect out of Fort Lauderdale has many high-caliber programs to choose from, Little Jr. stated that he would prefer to not venture too far from South Florida for college.
“I’d like to go somewhere that’s not too far from home,” Little Jr. said. “I would want to go to a school where I’ve developed solid relationships with the coaches and where I could compete for a starting job. I want to be in a good environment where I can go and have fun. I don’t want to sit in my dorm all day, I want to go out and enjoy where I’m at.”
Little Jr. started at CB as a junior for the 2020 American Heritage squad that won the 5A state title in Florida and went 11-2 on the season. He tallied 35 tackles and 2 interceptions even while missing 4 games due to a hamstring injury.
“Playing down here in South Florida, you’re going to have to compete every week. You have to bring your ‘A’ game. I’m a competitor - I get after anything and everything,” Little Jr. said. “I’m going to bring that swag and that dog mentality. You’re not going to get that from anyone else from another state. We’re different in Florida.”
Long before his strong junior season, though, Little Jr. was earning attention from the hometown Hurricanes, as he landed his UM offer over a year before back in October of 2019.
“It’s a blessing,” Little Jr. said of his UM offer. “I’ve always been a Miami fan, it’s my hometown school. My dad played there, which makes it special. I’m blessed to have received an offer from the University of Miami.”
With the hiring of DB coach Travaris Robinson and CB coach DeMarcus Van Dyke at UM over the offseason, Little Jr. would potentially be an addition to a position group that is in very experienced hands. Robinson has long coached and developed NFL talent in the SEC, while Van Dyke was a former CB for Miami himself who also played in the NFL.
“I’ve been talking with coach T-Rob, coach Van Dyke, and coach (Manny) Diaz,” Little Jr. said. “It’s a blessing being able to talk with coach T-Rob, who is one of the top coaches in the nation. When I talk with coach Diaz, we talk about life besides football. He checks up on my family and me, he asks how I’m doing, and how school is.”
While the 6’0” 175-pound prospect out of Fort Lauderdale has many high-caliber programs to choose from, Little Jr. stated that he would prefer to not venture too far from South Florida for college.
“I’d like to go somewhere that’s not too far from home,” Little Jr. said. “I would want to go to a school where I’ve developed solid relationships with the coaches and where I could compete for a starting job. I want to be in a good environment where I can go and have fun. I don’t want to sit in my dorm all day, I want to go out and enjoy where I’m at.”
