Florida recruiting: 2026 Northwestern WR Calvin Russell keeping close with blue chip schools

FORT LAUDERDALE — If Miami Northwestern’s regular season opener is a sign of things to come, you’ll be reading about the Bulls a lot this year.

More specifically, a lot about junior five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell, who reeled in a pair of touchdown passes in a 45-0 win over Coconut Creek in the Broward County Showcase.

Russell, who stands at 6-foot-5, is as physically gifted a prospect as any in the country. Rated as a consensus top-3 receiver in the nation by 247Sports, ESPN, and On3, he holds around 50 offers for football, and even boasts basketball offers from Illinois, Arizona State, Penn State, and more.

Of the laundry list of schools showing interest, he says there are a few schools he has a good relationship with as of week one.

“Definitely Coach Fran Brown [head coach] at Syracuse,” Russell said. “Florida, Alabama, you know, there’s a lot of schools keeping in contact. Miami, Florida State, LSU, they’re all keeping in contact.”

But these schools don’t have forever to recruit Russell. He says he wants to enter his senior season with his top choices narrowed down.

“I’m not rushing it at all, you know,” he said. “I’m taking my time with it. It’ll probably come, I’d say by next Spring, I’ll have a certain set with the recruiting process.”

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While in-state schools sometimes have an advantage with Florida recruits, Russell says proximity isn't a factor in his decision.

"That doesn't really matter to me," he said. "I just want to go wherever is best for me."

Russell spent time last year at quarterback in the Bull’s forgettable 4-6 season. But this year, he’s on a mission to show that everyone knows he’s one of the best receivers in the 2026 class.

“It’s very fun to me, because last year I didn’t really have the chance to show myself at receiver,” Russell said. “But this year, I’m gonna make sure everyone knows I’m a receiver. Getting the deep ball, turning the short ball into long runs,  everything just coming together as an overall receiver. Making sure it’s known that I’m the No. 1 receiver in the nation.”

He’ll have plenty of opportunity to get tape at receiver between now and then in Teddy Bridgewater’s offense. The Bulls spread the ball around, and four different receivers notched a touchdown pass in Thursday’s shutout win.

Bridgewater, a 10-year NFL veteran and former Dolphins quarterback, had the foresight to move Russell to receiver in his first year as head coach of his alma mater and will likely use him as the blade’s edge of a dangerous Northwestern offense.

Quick Slants

Russell isn’t the only Division I talent on the Bulls’ roster. Northwestern held the Cougars to net-negative rushing yards on the night, led by FAU commit Deangelo Thompson and Wisconsin commit Wilnerson Telemaque in the trenches.

Thompson had a pair of sacks, while Telemaque (who transferred in from Monsignor Pace one week prior) tallied several TFLs and helped keep Coconut Creek’s offense stagnant for most of the night.

Senior four-star safety and Penn State commit Antonio Branch Jr., who sits at No. 69 in the USA Today Florida Top 100, anchored the secondary all night and picked up a handful of tackles of his own in the shutout.

Junior wide receiver Nicsaint Joseph, who holds offers from Indiana, Syracuse, West Virginia, and others, made come athletic grabs and hauled in a touchdown reception.

Sophomore Nicholas Lennear is next in line as South Florida’s hot ticket on the recruiting trail. The wide receiver, who is already offered by Colorado, Nebraska, Louisville, and others, had a 10-yard touchdown catch of his own. He’s the heir-apparent to an elite wide receiver core led by Russell.

“That’s my little brother right there,” Russell. said. “I’m always on his side. Me, Darius Johnnson, and Nicsaint Joseph, really the older boys of the group, we taught him a lot coming in. Making sure he’s flowing with the offense and now everything’s coming together [for him].”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida recruiting: 2026 Northwestern WR Calvin Russell keeping close with blue chip schools