The Hurricanes lost another one of their top defensive prospects in this year’s class as linebacker Gavin Nix is headed elsewhere.

Nix, who had been committed to Miami since July, backed off his pledge so he could flip his commitment to Oregon. Nix is the second blue-chip commit to leave UM’s class this week, joining star safety Hylton Stubbs.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the University of Miami for extending me a blessing to be (a part) of a prestigious football program,” Nix wrote on social media. “The opportunity to join such a historic institution is something that is truly a honor and something I truly value. There’s not a single day that goes by where I take it for granted. After much thought and prayer, I have decided to decommit from the University of Miami and will now be committing to the University of Oregon.

“This was not an easy decision, as I hold deep respect and admiration for the coaching staff, players, and fans at Miami. This decision comes down to what I believe deeply in my heart. I am incredibly grateful for the time and effort Miami has invested in me throughout this process. The relationships I have built with Miami are real ones that I will always cherish. Once again, Miami, thank you for believing in me and offering me the chance to represent the U. I wish the team nothing but success in the future.”

Nix, who plays for Bradenton powerhouse IMG Academy, is rated a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is listed as the No. 26 linebacker and No. 236 player in the 2025 class.

He had 43 tackles and two tackles for loss this season.

Miami has one other linebacker, three-star Miami Central standout Ezekiel Marcelin, in its 2025 class.

Four Orlando area teams, including two facing each other, play FHSAA football state semifinal games Friday night. The Orlando Sentinel scoreboard will track all the games and include updates for all 15 fourth round matchups, which includes Saturday’s Rural Division championship game.

The area matchup pits Dr. Phillips against Lake Mary in a Class 7A rematch of a regular season game won by DP 26-20 in September.

Here’s the list of games with Orlando area teams in bold. Rankings are the computerized FHSAA power ratings used to seed the semifinals. They were updated with results of three regional rounds factored.

Note that teams on top are at home, with Orlando area teams bolded. We’ll update this list with scores as play progresses.

Lake Mary, Dr. Phillips, Osceola and Jones football advance to state semifinals

TAMPA — There’s been little consistency to the Lightning’s schedule this season.

They’re coming off a stretch of five games in eight days and nine in 17 that concluded with back-to-back contests Friday in Nashville and Saturday against the Maple Leafs in Tampa.

Now, after four days without a game, they will host the Sharks on Thursday at Amalie Arena before hitting the road for a four-game trip through western Canada and Seattle.

The break comes at an advantageous time, as the Lightning are banged up. Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury sustained a day earlier against the Predators. Center Nick Paul was sidelined for a sixth straight game with a lower-body injury, and forward Mitchell Chaffee sat out his third straight.

“With four days off, hopefully we get some bodies back,” captain Victor Hedman said. “But it’s a next-man-up mentality.”

The Lightning have lost four of their past six games (allowing 4 or more goals in four of them), and three of their past four at home. Here are three things that will be important for the team moving forward.

Opportunities abound

Last season, a series of injuries thrust younger players into the Lightning lineup. While most served spot duty before returning to AHL Syracuse, Chaffee earned a regular spot by January. It seems forward Gage Goncalves has a similar opportunity to stick. With the Lightning down to 11 healthy forwards Saturday, Goncalves played much of the game on the top line with Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point.

“There’s opportunity that opens up for everyone, I think, when you’re missing the best player, one of the best players in the world,” forward Brandon Hagel said. “That’s obviously not a positive, but everyone’s got to be a little bit better and everyone’s got to step up … and I think a lot of guys did.

“It’s not easy. We’ve lost [Point] for a few games down the stretch. He’s one of the best players in the league, and then you lose Kuch and guys just continue to step up. There’s some young guys playing some good hockey that are having to take on some roles that maybe they’re not used to, and they’re learning. So, it’s only benefiting our team”

Contributions from below

Without Paul and Chaffee, who have accounted for a majority of the scoring from the third and fourth lines with 5 goals apiece, the Lightning have gotten recent contributions from other bottom-six forwards. They’ll need that to continue even after Paul and Chaffee return to provide scoring depth.

Fourth-line wing Mikey Eyssimont has created opportunities for himself all season — his 38 scoring chances during 5-on-5 play are fifth on the team. But after going scoreless (on 31 shots on goal) during his first 18 games, Eyssimont has scored in three of his past four. And, clearly, results are breeding confidence: He’s had 22 shot attempts in those games.

Luke Glendening scored his first goal of the season in an 8-2 win vs. the Avalanche on Nov. 25. Zemgus Girgensons has been on the score sheet twice in the past four games. And Cam Atkinson scored a big 6-on-4 power-play goal late Saturday that brought the Lightning within one of the Maple Leafs.

Building momentum

Even through some lean stretches the past few seasons, the Lightning always could depend on picking up points at home. Amalie is one of the tougher places for opponents to play, and Tampa Bay typically plays well there.

But heading into Thursday’s game, the Lightning have lost three of their past four at home, each of which included disappointing and uncharacteristic lapses in play, particularly on defense.

Saturday, Tampa Bay fell behind 4-0, allowing the first of two Toronto goals in a 33-second span by leaving defenseman Chris Tanev completely uncovered. Wednesday, the Lightning blew a 2-0, first-intermission advantage in a 5-4 loss to the Capitals. Four days earlier, they were tied with the Stars entering the third period before losing, 4-2.

No question, those were good teams who likely will make the playoffs. Simplifying their game and getting two points against the Sharks will be necessary for the Lightning to build momentum heading into their long road trip.

“Some nights maybe the mental side of us isn’t there, but I can tell you our work ethic and our work is there every single night,” Hagel said. “You see it up and down the lineup. I can’t name a guy that doesn’t bring his 100% effort every single night, obviously not perfect maybe in executing and stuff like that some nights, but this group works and continues to work, and it’s good to see and hopefully we get healthier soon. I love the group in here. The work ethic’s there; just execution sometimes.”

Up next ..

Lightning vs. Sharks

When: 7, Thursday, Amalie Arena

TV: Fan Duel Sports Network Sun

Nik Bonitto warned people that he could play in coverage. Denver’s edge rusher played safety during his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And even though his experience at defensive back was minimal, Bonitto was certain he could cover if called upon.

An opportunity to showcase those skills came about in the second quarter against the Browns on Monday night.

Browns quarterback Jameis Winston thought he had a wide-open Jordan Akins for a check-down throw in the flat. Instead, Bonitto anticipated the pass perfectly, snatching the ball and sprinting the other way for a 71-yard touchdown to give Denver a 21-10 lead with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter.

“I’ve been trying to tell people I used to play safety back in the day and people are surprised,” Bonitto said. “… When I saw a chance to break on the ball, I kind of just went and did that.”

Last week against the Raiders, Bonitto inserted himself in the Pro Bowl conversation, becoming the first Bronco since 2018 to record double-digit sacks in a single season. In Denver’s 41-32 win over the Browns, Bonitto made a case for being an All-Pro by shining in the national spotlight.

Denver’s defense wasn’t great. The Broncos had busted coverages and communication issues, resulting in a back-and-forth game against the three-win Browns. However, Bonitto managed to step up despite Denver’s defensive struggles, recording a sack and a season-high six pressures on 28 pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats.

Postgame, Bonitto had cameras and microphones pressed to his face while being showered with questions. Still, the large crowd of reporters surrounding Bonitto couldn’t drown out outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper’s praise for his teammate.

The Broncos had always known Bonitto could be an elite defender. But in prime time, the entire nation witnessed a star in the making.

“That (boy) cold. … Fifteen is crazy,” Cooper said, with his voice echoing throughout the locker room.

The former Oklahoma standout has 11 sacks and 43 pressures with four games left this season. He has recorded at least four pressures on four different occasions. In three seasons, Bonitto has 20.5 career sacks, tying outside linebacker Bradley Chubb for the seventh-most sacks by a Bronco in a three-year span.

The Broncos were quick to say that Monday wasn’t their best defensive effort. Denver allowed 552 yards of total offense while wide receiver Jerry Jeudy picked apart his former team’s secondary, exploding for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.

But even amid a lackluster performance, the Broncos defense once again found a way to win.

Bonitto had one of Denver’s three interceptions against Winston, who also threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns. On his pick-six, Bonitto reached a max speed of 19.88 seconds — the 2nd-fastest speed by a linebacker as a ball carrier this season, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

“I thought I ran faster but I’ll take it,” said Bonitto, who recorded the third-longest interception return for a touchdown by a Broncos linebacker and the longest since Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1980.

With the game on the line late in the fourth quarter, Ja’Quan McMillian made a play of his own. The nickel cornerback leaped and intercepted Winston’s throw to wide receiver Elijah Moore along the sideline. The nickel cornerback fell on his back but immediately bounced back up and burst down the sideline for a 44-yard score, extending Denver’s lead to nine points and essentially putting the game away for good.

The two pick-6s marked the fifth time in Broncos history the team recorded multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a game. The last time Denver did so was in 2018 against Arizona.

“I just kept telling the guys, ‘I’m going to make a play.’ I just felt it all game,” McMillian said. “When you see your teammate make another play, you want to make a play as well.”

When Cleveland threatened to score in the closing seconds, inside linebacker Cody Barton picked off Winston in the end zone, giving Denver’s eighth victory of the season one final exclamation point.

“No matter what the situation is, we’re going to find a way to win and that’s what we did,” Bonitto said.

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