Before this past weekend started, there were a lot of college football recruiting analysts and coaches alike who had never heard of Mattheus Kaminski Cordeiro.
Rest assured, after his performances Saturday and Sunday at the Under Armour Combine and Camp Series in Orlando, they will know all about the West Orange defensive end.
Kaminski Cordeiro, a rising junior who had nine sacks at West Orange last season, had a breakout weekend during which he dominated in every phase of the camp’s drills and one-on-one competitions. His energy makes him stand out and his quickness and power off the edge was too much for offensive linemen to handle.
He took home the defensive line MVP award from Sunday’s UA Camp, while fellow Orlando-area participants Fred Ards, a 2027 defensive end at Jones, and Taihj Moore, a 2028 running back at DeLand, earned invites to the 2027 Under Armour All-American Game.
Kaminski Cordeiro, the No. 4-ranked player in the Sentinel’s 2028 Central Florida Super60, was not even invited to the Sunday camp, but he earned the invitation after his UA Combine performance on Saturday.
“It feels amazing, coming out here and showing them what I already knew. I already knew I was gonna get MVP and I just came in with that mentality, to be ready, and I just had to show it,” Kaminski Cordeiro said.
An unknown commodity in the early stages of his career, he will likely pick up plenty of recruiting steam after this past weekend.
“I feel like I’ve been blossoming, but just not in front of the right people,” he said. “Now, when people start seeing me, they’ll be like, ‘Who is this kid?’ That’s just been my lifestyle the whole time.”
His motor is non-stop and he plays with passion and great energy.
“I just like showing that I’m versatile and that I can even drop into coverage or I can rush the quarterback and show power too … just showing I can do it all on the field,” Kaminski Cordeiro said.
He’s long and his 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame suggests that he could even be a college linebacker, which would be fine with him. He just wants to play.
“I love to rush the quarterback, but if a team ever needs me to drop back I’d be happy to do it because I know I can do it,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep my speed and keep gaining weight.”
Ards, who is the No. 1 player in the Sentinel’s 207 Super60, had some fun Sunday due to being registered for the camp as a linebacker, a bit out of position for the big 6-5, 245-pounder. He was mis-matched with running backs in one-on-one drills, but he showed great humor, laughing as the smaller, faster runners left him standing with their quick routes.
When asked why he was entered as a linebacker, Ards just laughed, “I don’t even know, but it’s all good. I just went out there having fun and I’m just happy to be here. I love it. It was competition and it was something I’ve never done before.”
His invitation to the All-American game was based more on his body of work and not Sunday’s camp.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life. I just want to go out there and show what I can do and show that I’m the best,” Ards said. “I was surprised. I didn’t even get to do the [defensive end] one-on-ones so it was like, ‘How am I gonna get the MVP?’ I really wasn’t gonna be mad if I didn’t.”
He did sneak over to work a pair of one-on-one reps with the defensive line, dominating both. He says even though his is highly ranked, he can’t be satisfied.
“Just gotta keep going hard every day and showing my team that it’s not easy to get this, you gotta work for it, going hard every day in practice,” Ards said. “It don’t come free. You gotta work for everything.”
Moore was elated to earn the All-American Game invite, in large part because the game is played right on his home field at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand in January. He will play in the game as a junior.
“I can’t believe it. It doesn’t feel real at all,” said Moore, who ran for 1,427 yards and 25 touchdowns this past season as a sophomore. “It’s just a blessing getting to play in my hometown, right next to where I stay.
“I didn’t think I was gonna win an invite to the game.”
His mother, Tiffany Lasha Williamson, is his biggest supporter and of course she was on hand Sunday. He said she was going to be quite proud afterward.
“Oh yeah, she’ll probably cry when we get in the car,” Moore said. “She means a lot. Words can even express how I feel about that lady.”
Will Jackson used to be fixture at Orlando-area camps and he was was back in town this past weekend, he said he’s here to stay for a little while. The senior quarterback has been a bit of a vagabond during his high school career, starting out at Lake Minneola, then stopping at TFA, Winter Park and Camden County (Ga.).
Jackson (6-4, 185) said after enrolling at Evans High last month, he’s found a home.
“I’ve been able to adjust to every situation I’ve been in,” Jackson said. “I feel like the biggest thing for me is just to develop and be able to get myself into college and surround myself with the people who are gonna get me to where I wanna be … and not just to get to college, but to play in college.”
He threw for 1,923 yards and 24 touchdowns, with just five interceptions, last season, his breakout year as a junior.
“It feels nice to be back home. The whole plan was to finish up in Georgia, but some things happened out of my control, so you gotta adjust to it on the fly,” Jackson said. “Now I’m back here in Florida, so it’s pretty good.”
Photos: Orlando Under Armour Camp Series 2026
Grant Alford, a coach he has followed around, has been a mainstay in his life. Alford was the offensive coordinator at Lake Minneola and then again at Camden, and he will take over the reins as OC at Evans.
“It’s really good. I’ve known him since I was in sixth grade and he also coached my brother,” Jackson said. “Our relationship is strong.
“We got a lot of ballers at Evans so we should have a really good year.”
Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays.