Dr. Phillips WR Mykel Calixte chooses Central Michigan

Last year, Mykel Calixte decided to make a move. He wanted to get more attention from college football recruiters so he moved from little West Oaks Academy in West Orlando to Dr. Phillips.

Calixte said that is why he has been able to accept a Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offer from Central Michigan and former Florida coach Jim McElwain.

“If it wasn’t for Dr. Phillips, I probably wouldn’t be going to college,” Calixte said. “The school I was at, I might have gone to college, but I don’t think it would be D-I.”

He said he loved the coaching staff at Central, who recruited him quite heavily after noticing Calixte at USF’s mega camp earlier this summer. Calixte also put on a good show at the UCF 7-on-7 turnament .

“They showed a lot of love … I mean a lot,” Calixte said of Central Michigan coaches. “The whole visit wasn’t even about football. They were really just bringing me in like I was family … like I was blood.

“That’s what really made me want to go to Central Michigan because that’s what I was looking for in a school … coaches who were going to love their players.”

Calixte (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) is the No. 33 player in the Sentinel’s 2025 Central Florida Super60 . He said he had a great camp at USF.

“It was crazy. I had a great day,” he said. “A lot of coaches were talking to me.”

Central Michigan coaches, however, were the ones who followed up with the schoalrship offer and Calixte committed last week.

“They said they like everything about me, for real,” Calixte said. “They said I got size and they said I got everything they need in a receiver. … I got speed, but I can get faster and that’s what I’m working on right now.”

Now Calixte can turn his attention to his senior season and playing for coach Rodney Wells, whom he also attributes credit for his success.

“Coach Wells had been getting my face out there for sure, he helped me a lot,” Calixte said. “We’re gonna win the states, mark my word … undefeated.

“It feels good to be able to help the team and go to the playoffs last year. We could have gone farther, but we fell short. … We can do better this year, though, and we’re gonna get better.”

He loves working with quarterback Stanley Anderson-Lofton, who has committed to Middle Tennessee State. DP has three FBS commits, including safety Maliki Wright, who is headed to Duke.

“I love Stan. Stan’s a good quarterback. When I came here, we just got to it, that first week,” Calixte said. “We were building our chemistry and so it’s good.”

Last season Calixte caught 25 passes for 529 yards and 4 touchdowns, and an average of 21 yards per catch. He’s happy to have the recruiting process completed.

“Yeah, I don’t have to stress anymore about going to college,” he said. “Now all I’m worried about is going to states and winning so my teammates can go to college.”

Chris Hays can be found on X @OS_ChrisHays . He can be reached via email at chays@orlandosentinel.com .