{"id":164638,"date":"2026-02-22T11:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T11:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/164638\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T11:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T11:24:15","slug":"orlando-area-athletes-shine-at-2026-under-armour-combine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/164638\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando-area athletes shine at 2026 Under Armour Combine"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were nearly 800 players who descended on Bishop Moore Catholic High School on Saturday, the largest Under Armour Combine in the country, all looking for invites to Sunday\u2019s Camp Series invitation-only event.<\/p>\n

Thirteen individuals emerged with invites to Sunday\u2019s Under Armour camp, six of which are from the Orlando area.<\/p>\n

Defensive lineman Mattheus Kaminski Cordeiro of West Orange, linebackers Jelani Bentley of Tavares and Troy Turner of Lake Mary, defensive backs Garrison Lubin of Lake Minneola and Malcom Jones of Ocoee, and offensive lineman Fenway Cochrane of East Ridge all earned Saturday MVP nods.<\/p>\n

It was a breakthrough moment for all six athletes, looking to gain attention from college recruiters.<\/p>\n

\"TavaresTavares wins brothers and linebackers Jelani and Aril Bentley, who will both be seniors this upcoming season. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

For Bentley, it was somewhat bittersweet, given that his twin brother and similarly-talented linebacker, Ari Bentley, did not receive the same recognition Saturday. This past season at Tavares, Jelani, the No. 10 player in the Sentinel\u2019s 2027 Central Florida Super60<\/a>, led the Bulldogs in tackles with 111, and Ari was right behind him with 92 tackles. Both players had 16 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n

The brothers shrugged off the fact that one received the accolades while the other did not.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to give all the glory to God. Me and my brother work hard every single day in the offseason and I just want to thank [Ari] because he really helps push me,\u201d Jelani said. \u201cIt is kind of weird, because I\u2019m surprised he was not up here with me. He\u2019s like my mirror image. I always know what he\u2019s thinking so it really helps me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mirror images except for the fact that Jelani has his hair in dreads, while Ari goes with the more retro-look afro.<\/p>\n

Photos: 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBut since I\u2019m up here, it\u2019s basically like he\u2019s up here too,\u201d Jelani said.<\/p>\n

Ari was happy for his brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m used to it since like the first grade. We get separated,\u201d said Ari, who is ranked No. 15 in the 2027\u00a0 Super60. \u201cWe work hard for this so I\u2019m proud of him. I\u2019m not disappointed at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The twins will be looking to go to the same college.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever is God\u2019s will,\u201d Ari said. \u201cWe will try to stay together, but if worse comes to worse and we get separated, then it\u2019s God\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always easy getting recruited at Tavares, which is in the middle of Lake County, miles from any interstate thoroughfares. The emergence of linebacker Izayia Williams, who signed with FSU in December, helped bring some attention to the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a small school and he\u2019s a great player so I think it was easier for him to get recruited,\u201d Jelani said of Williams. \u201cSince he came [to Tavares] I think more recruiters are coming so I think it\u2019s gonna be better for us. It also helps us improve our game because it gives us motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DefensiveDefensive line co-MVP Mattheus Kaminski Cordeiro, 2027, of West Orange at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Kaminski Cordeiro, a rising junior, is ranked No. 4 in the 2028 Sentinel Super60<\/a>, was the fifth-leading tackler for 10-2 West Orange this past season. He also had nine sacks. At 6-foot-3, 212, he is lengthy and athletic with a long reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels amazing. I got to prove myself, and now tomorrow I\u2019m gonna come out here and prove myself again,\u201d Kaminski Cordeiro said. \u201cYou always gotta keep progressing. I might be on the scene, but there\u2019s always more\u2026 always more you can do to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OffensiveOffensive line co-MVP Fenway Cochrane, 2027, of East Ridge at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Cochrane, ranked No. 17 in the Sentinel\u2019s 2028 Central Florida Super60,<\/a> is starting to get used to these camp accolades. He was just named MVP last week at the All-American Exposure Camp in Orlando. The 6-2, 295-pound interior lineman recently transferred from West Orange to East Ridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great to be able to showcase my talent to other people. I just want to prove that I dominate, that I\u2019m the best at what I do,\u201d Cochrane said.<\/p>\n

MVP honors are starting to become the norm, but Cochrane says he doesn\u2019t let complacency slip in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the gym every day and I got a gym at my house. \u2026 I\u2019m always pushing weight,\u201d Cochrane said. \u201cComplacency kills. I\u2019m working every day, spending at least three or four hours on my craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LinebackersLinebackers co-MVP Troy Turner, 2027, of Lake Mary at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Turner, coming off a state championship with Lake Mary, has had the opportunity to gain more attention and he is taking advantage. A little undersized at linebacker, the 5-10, 210-pounder, who is coming off his sophomore season, had 31 tackles. He is ranked No. 40 in the Sentinel\u2019s 2028 Super60.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good. It\u2019s a blessing. God leads the way, so I\u2019m glad I did what I had to do,\u201d Turner said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve put in more work and I know I\u2019m fixing to be better this season, so I\u2019m confident.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DefensiveDefensive backs co-MVP Garrison Lubin, 2027, at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Lubin, No. 56 in the 2027 Super60, is a habitual camp attendee and has progressed immensely. He has great cover skills and quick reaction time. He played just five games this past season and had one interception.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great and it\u2019s a nice opportunity to get an invite for the next day, so I\u2019m ready to grind [Sunday],\u201d Lubin said. \u201c[The camps] help me a lot to compete, going against different competitions around the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means I have been chosen to be the best to go against the best and to be the best that I can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DefensiveDefensive backs co-MVP Malcolm, 2027, of Ocoee at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Jones, who recently transferred from Apopka to Ocoee, is 6-1, 165. He plays both sides of the ball. Jones is quick on the twitch and has tight cover skills that caught the attention of UA coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now it\u2019s like \u2026 I\u2019ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid and I\u2019m fixing to make something of it since they have given me the chance,\u201d said Jones. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy and I\u2019m just overly blessed. \u2026 I\u2019ve been working, all the time, inside the dirt, all the time, when nobody\u2019s been looking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s showing up now and I\u2019m just grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were many other top performances worth noting Saturday, even though it did not mean a next-day invite for players like Windermere athlete Onix Vazquez, who turned in the top 40-yard dash time of 4.45 seconds. He was asked to run it again just to make sure, and he popped a 4.49 on his second attempt, showing his speed is no fluke.<\/p>\n

\"WindermereWindermere 2027 athlete Onix Vazquez at the 2026 Orlando Under Armour Combine, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. (Chris Hays\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not really disappointed because I know what I did. It\u2019s just that the coaches didn\u2019t see me,\u201d Vazquez said. \u201cIt feels good. [The two times] means that I\u2019m consistent with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 5-10, 170-pound senior will to be asked to play running back this next season for the first time. He has been slot and wide receiver mostly in high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fully confident. I\u2019ve never played running back before in a real game,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I feel comfortable at running back. It\u2019s just natural and I can see the field. My vision is pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other local players looking good Saturday were defensive backs Torrey Scott of Dr. Phillips and JuJu White of South Lake, and quarterbacks Sebastian Galeano of Oviedo (accuracy), Jay Caldwell of Windermere (arm strength) and Gavin Pritzkau of Central Florida Christian Academy (Accuracy).<\/p>\n

Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There were nearly 800 players who descended on Bishop Moore Catholic High School on Saturday, the largest Under…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164639,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1745,3745,139,141,140,76046,76642,110],"class_list":["post-164638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-high-school-football","tag-high-school-sports","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-social-sports","tag-social-varsity-sports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}