Derrek Cooper from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory wins the 2025 Nat Moore Trophy

The votes are in and we have a winner for the 2025 CBS Miami Nat Moore Trophy.

Derrek Cooper, running back at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, has won this year’s award.

“I would like to just thank God. Thank God, thank God, man, because my high school journey has been struggle from the start. Then just getting to the end of it. My senior year has been a good year. Coach Jones, I appreciate you, and I’d like to thank everybody,” Cooper said as he received the award.

“You know, this will catapult me forward, you know from all the winners that won last time, they always do good in college. So this is my journey to start from Texas,” added Cooper, who’ll be playing college football with the University of Texas.

The announcement was made during a special presentation Tuesday night at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins.

Close to 17,000 people voted in an online CBSMiami.com poll that asked viewers who among the four finalists should win the prestigious honor. The voting period opened on Nov. 18 and closed on Nov. 30.

The other three finalists for this year’s Nat Moore Trophy included Justice Fitzpatrick, defensive back at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Brandon Kinsey, wide receiver at Miami Central Senior High School, and Calvin Russell, wide receiver at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. 

In 2024, Malachi Toney, then a wide receiver at American Heritage School, won the 2024 Nat Moore Trophy. Now playing college football with the Miami Hurricanes, Toney has made a quick name for himself in front of his hometown crowd this season.

The CBS Miami Nat Moore Trophy recognizes the top high school player in any position and any school in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties who has positive character, leadership and meets all team standards for academics, sportsmanship and conduct.

Here’s a closer look at each of this year’s four finalists (names in alphabetical order):

Position: #1, Running Back – 6’1″ • 190 lbs

School: Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School

Chaminade-Madonna star running back Derrek Cooper, a five-star recruit and the nation’s top-ranked back in the 2026 class, has emerged as one of South Florida’s most dynamic athletes, excelling in both football and track. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound playmaker rushed for 905 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, helping lead the Lions to a state title, and his two-way versatility earned him Under Armour All-American honors. 

Raised in a football family, with his father and brothers in the sport and MLB player Lewis Brinson as his uncle, Cooper says the game has been part of his life “since I came out of the womb.” 

After receiving 45 Division I offers, he committed to Texas over programs like Ohio State, Miami, Georgia, Alabama and Florida, strengthening the Longhorns’ top-five recruiting class. Cooper credits his South Florida upbringing for his competitive edge, saying he’s had to “fight for everything” and that the region’s deep football tradition shaped the player he’s become.

Position: #2, Defensive Back – 6’2″ • 190 lbs

School: St. Thomas Aquinas High School

St. Thomas Aquinas safety Justice Fitzpatrick, was the only defensive player among this year’s four CBS Miami Nat Moore Trophy finalists, and has quickly emerged as a standout for the powerhouse program, pairing natural talent with a relentless work ethic shaped in part by his family — including older brother and Miami Dolphins star Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Georgia commit has recorded 65 career tackles and seven interceptions while embracing South Florida’s intense football culture after moving from New Jersey, crediting the region with elevating his competitive edge. 

Position: #1, Wide Receiver – 6’2″ • 188 lbs

School: Miami Central Senior High School

Miami Central senior Brandon Kinsey, a Purdue commit and dynamic wide receiver, looked to become just the second Rocket to win the prestigious Nat Moore Trophy.

Known for his explosive playmaking ability, Kinsey credits his father for sparking his passion for football when he was just four years old at Liberty City Park. 

Position: #5, Wide Receiver – 6’5″ • 195 lbs

School: Miami Northwestern Senior High School

Miami Northwestern three-sport standout Calvin “Gump” Russell III has built his reputation on performing under pressure, a mentality he says has fueled him since ninth grade. 

Now a senior and widely regarded as one of the top players in South Florida and the nation, Russell credits his rise to Miami’s hyper-competitive football culture, relentless work ethic and the “dog mentality” he grew up with. 

Past Nat Moore Trophy winners 

Malachi Toney, 2024 Nat Moore Trophy winner. Most recently, Canes true freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney has made a quick name for himself in front of his hometown crowd this season. He recently turned 18, but the American Heritage alum is already on track to break records.

Jeremiah Smith, 2023 Nat Moore Trophy winner. And who could ever forget 2023’s winner, star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, collecting a national title with Ohio State – in his first year as a Buckeye.

Rueben Bain Jr., 2022 Nat Moore Trophy winner. Toney’s doing it all right next to his teammate, Rueben Bain Jr. The former Miami Central defensive end made his mark as the 2022 Nat Moore trophy winner, moving on to stay close to home at the U. The junior is now considered one of the top defensive players in the country, with some Heisman buzz.

Kenyatta Jackson, 2021 Nat Moore Trophy winner. Another South Florida connection has him playing alongside former Chaminade-Madonna defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson. 2021’s winner is also hoping to end his senior year with another natty under his belt.

Henry Parrish Jr., 2019 Nat Moore Trophy winner. Last, but certainly not least: Henry Parrish Jr., the inaugural Nat Moore winner, took his talents to Ole Miss, back home to Miami, and then returned to Ole Miss. One thing’s for sure, though — you can always find him representing his South Florida roots, wherever he goes.

Nat Moore Trophy history: Who is Nat Moore?

He is a Florida native, born in Tallahassee but grew up in Miami, where he attended Miami Edison Senior High and Miami-Dade Community College.

At the University of Florida, Moore was a star running back and was later inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 1978.

He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1974 and was a star wide receiver for thirteen seasons from 1974 to 1986.

Over his 13-year playing career, Moore recorded 510 receptions for 7546 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns, and ranks in the top three in Dolphins history in each of those three categories.

Moore is best known for his famous “Helicopter Catch,” which sent his body spinning into the air when he was hit simultaneously from opposite directions by two New York Jets defenders in 1984.

Moore retired in 1986 as an all-time Dolphin great.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – AUGUST 10: Nat Moore, a former Miami Dolphins player, (Photo by Joe Skipper/Getty Images)

He is currently the team’s senior vice president of special projects and alumni relations.

His post retirement career is filled with humanitarian work and philanthropy.

In 1984, the NFL voted Moore as “Man of the Year” for outstanding service to his community and he received the Byron White Humanitarian Award in 1986.

In 1998, he created the Nat Moore Foundation, which works with disadvantaged kids in Miami-Dade County in efforts to make sure they receive the best education possible.