2023 Prospect Profile: Brandon Inniss, Wide Receiver, American Heritage

Defining the talents of American Heritage wide receiver Brandon Inniss means breaking down a wide spectrum of natural gifts and his desire to win.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Jan 28, 2022 6:39 AM EST

FORT LAUDERDALE - To be the best, you have to want it. There needs to be a focal point on the task at hand that’s beyond what can imagine, let alone accomplish. This type of desire might even be considered over-the-top or too much by some people. Well, that attitude has served elite high school football prospect Brandon Inniss very well.

Looking down and seeing a random text message from Inniss brought about the first moment of knowing he was different. During the first round of COVID two years ago, the then freshman in high school sent a short video of himself working out in the garage. He just wanted it to be known he was grinding no matter what. That’s been his style ever since, too.

He’s in control, yet goes all-out. Inniss provides a level of energy that’s infectious and helps his high school team and South Florida Express seven-on-seven team grind out wins that would not take place without him. He’s a special player. That’s also why he’s one of the most heavily recruited players in recent Florida prep football history.

Brandon Inniss

Size: 6’0”, 190-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver/Athlete

School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage

Recruitment

Inniss is one of the rare players that deserves the following question be tagged with his recruitment: Who has not offered him a scholarship? The one time Oklahoma commitment can all but pick his school. UCF, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, North Carolina State, Texas A&M, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Southern California, Ole Miss, USF, Nebraska, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Auburn, Cincinnati, Baylor, Arkansas and Oregon represent the vast majority of his offers.

After backing off his commitment to Oklahoma when then Head Coach Lincoln Riley was still the boss in Norman before leaving for sunny Los Angeles to coach the Trojans, there are numerous programs that Inniss could end up attending. His recruitment could very well carry out until National Signing Day. College coaches will wait on the talents of a player that's worthy of a national top 10 ranking.

Frame

Really began to fill out in the shoulders and upper body over the course of the past year. Went from a 170-pound player a couple of years ago to the point where he’s now at least 190-pounds. Shoulders, for a wide receiver, are fairly wide. He almost looks like a hybrid safety/linebacker. Powerful upper legs allow him to power through arm tackles with ease.

Athleticism

Good bend; first step explosiveness is fantastic while “getting skinny” in traffic at top gear. His patented move is probably the one in the following clip, as he’s been doing it on the seven-on-seven for a long time and the same when in pads during a high school game.

All of his talents taken into consideration, one still must consider Inniss’s ability to change direction like a college running back. With or without the football, he creates separation with excellent quickness.

Style of Play

Savvy; shrewd; calculated in motion. Inniss seemingly learns something new on one play about the defense, then he utilizes that skill on the very next play. He’s often seen whispering in the ear of a teammate right before lining up in a stack formation, and then, either Inniss or his teammate is wide open for a score. He just figures it out. Above all else, Inniss’s style of play goes back to the opening of this article.

Inniss has a desire to beat the opponent any way possible. Yes, he’s a “Dude” from a physical standpoint. God blessed him in that manner. How he’s taken advantage of it, however, is all on Inniss. He looks for ways to become better at the little things, i.e. route running, catching the football away from his body, helping a teammate get open by setting a natural pick with his route to generate space for the quarterback to complete a pass. His all-around skills transcend what college coaches want, and that’s a leader and a winner.

Versatility

While wide receiver will be the position Inniss most likely plays moving forward, he’s also been able to play quarterback for American Heritage when called upon because of his team-first attitude. Inniss just rolls with what’s next. There’s also defense to consider.

Inniss has played quite a bit of safety for South Florida Express during the seven-on-seven tournaments, and even some middle linebacker. Could he play on the defensive side of the football in college? Absolutely. It's just that he's always been so good at receiver that's still where he's expected to end up playing. Lastly, once he’s in college, seeing Inniss take jet sweeps or an option pitch to place the football in his hands should be expected, not surprising.

Final Thoughts

As Inniss begins to make the rounds to college programs right before his senior season, college football fans will be watching and hoping he selects their school. It’s for good reason as he’s a truly special football player. Next up for Inniss will be a trek to UCF for an unofficial visit to the Knights’ Hometown Hero event on Saturday.

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