Carmari Solomon does it all for Oviedo; former OCP back shines at UMass

It's rare that Carmari Solomon comes out of a football game for Oviedo, but coach Greg Odierno does recognize that his star do-everything player needs a break once in a while. Friday night against Lake Brantley, Solomon was, as usual, doing it all for the Lions. He had a key third-down carry for 15 yards to extend Oviedo's opening scoring drive. On Brantley's first possession, as the Patriots threatened to score, Solomon made a perfect read on a Jackson Stecher pass, tracking it down from his centerfield safety position to intercept the ball at the 5-yard line. On Brantley's next possession, he tracked down another Stecher pass and went high in the air to deflect the ball. He was making plays all over the field when Odierno mentioned to one of his assistant coaches: 'We need to get Carmari a break on the next series.' But Solomon was busy. Three plays later, he fielded a Brantley punt at the 20-yard line and headed for the sideline, where he got a huge block from Jaiden McNeil and went 80 yards, untouched for a touchdown. That's the kind of impact he has. On the game's first four possessions he made four major plays, prompting Odierno to say, 'He's special.' Indeed he is. Opposing coaches certainly know that, but so far, when it comes to college recruiters, he is going unnoticed. That is mostly due to his size. He's listed at 5-foot-10, which might be generous, and 165 pounds. Recruiters, especially now in the transfer era, are scared to take chances on guys who are slight of frame. It happens every year. Hundreds of overlooked, smaller players are left to scramble for scholarships. Most end up at obscure FCS schools, waiting for their chance to break out. Another small but stellar player is Edgewater's 5-9, 186-pound running back Jaelyn Powell, who ran for 213 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Windermere last week. Solomon is currently committed to Colgate, which has had success recruiting the Orlando area in the recent past. The Raiders currently have four area products on the roster. Solomon also has a second FBS offer from Marshall, and a handful of other FCS offers from the likes of Bethune-Cookman. He does have an Ivy League offer from Brown University. 'Carmari is the pulse of our team. He's a phenomenal player. Just a dynamic young man. He's the juice and guys definitely feed off of him,' Odierno said. Odierno says Solomon is an FBS player, but he's obviously not getting FBS attention. Oviedo also has touted receiver Jordan Donahoo, who is committed to Ohio State, and coaches who have come in to watch Donahoo have also seen Solomon. 'Everybody would rave about him, but then they'd say, oh but he's 5-11,' Odierno said. 'I really don't understand it. I do think he's an FBS talent, no doubt. He's an FBS personality, he's a 3.7 student, so he checks every box, minus the inch-and-a-half some schools might want.' Gifted on and off the field, Solomon is also incredibly humble. 'I couldn't do it without my teammates, couldn't do it without my coaches and the people supporting me in the stands,' Solomon said after Oviedo pulled out a 35-28 overtime win against Brantley. He takes all that he does in stride and just chalks it up to doing his part. 'Playing both sides (offense and defense) is not something a lot of people can do, but I do it for my team,' Solomon said. 'I'm gonna risk my body and put my body on the line every single time because I'm gonna fight with my brothers.' Teammates speak highly of him. 'Carmari, he's the energy guy. In practice, if he's on offense, offense is having the best day. If he's on defense, defense is killing us. He's a playmaker and Colgate got a good one,' said Oviedo quarterback Sebastian Galeano, who is headed to Yale. 'He's a great kid and as a student, we have classes together, and he's a great student. A's all around. He's a great player. Phenomenal person. I'm just excited to see what he does.' Solomon loves how Odierno leans on him in virtually every aspect of the game. 'It's a blessing, an opportunity to go and showcase my skills, my God-given talent and hard work I put in,' he said. His versatility is rare. Whether it's playing running back, receiver, Wildcat quarterback, defensive back or or kick returner, he's all over the field. Asked what position he would rather play, he couldn't choose. 'I'm going wherever coach needs me. Wherever I'm needed on that field to go make a play, I'm gonna go make it,' said Solomon. Solomon doesn't fret about the shortage of recruiting attention. He figures his time will come, so, for now, he just does his part for Oviedo football. 'I'm gonna keep putting on for my team, keep putting on for the city,' Solomon said. 'Helping my teammates, keeping them strong, keeping them in check. We're gonna win out the rest of the season.' He realizes his size holds back recruiters but he's still confident someone will take a shot on him. 'Anybody who passes up on me, they're missing out,' Solomon said. 'All I got to say is that I'm a baller. I'm ready. I'm committed to Colgate right now. It's gonna be an opportunity and I'm gonna ball out.' He is likely a college defensive back, but he hasn't zeroed in on a position at Colgate, and would love to be a Swiss army knife, of sorts, for the Raiders. 'We're gonna see,' he said. One of the biggest story lines of the first week of the college football season was the UMass 37-21 upset of Rutgers, in which the Minutemen ended a 16-game losing streak. Former Orlando Christian Prep standout Curtis Kimmons IV, who came to UMass as a transfer from little Southeastern University in Lakeland, had a lot to do with the surprise win. Kimmons had 78 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, scoring on a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter. Kimmons played a huge role in OCP's run to the Class 2A state semifinals in 2021, where the Warriors lost 29-21 against eventual state champion Trinity Christian of Jacksonville. OCP coach Guerschom Demosthenes enjoyed seeing his former player shine for UMass. 'It doesn't surprise me, with the kind of football player he was for us. He was a bright spot and he was really good,' Demosthenes said. 'Watching him play and doing what he does (at UMass), seeing his great vision and great balance. He's gonna continue doing well, just like he did at SEU and the sky is the limit for him. 'I sit in awe sometimes. This joker was in my program and now look at him. It brings joy to my heart that this little school on 436 and Lake Underhill is able to produce really good, quality talent. It's really fun to see that.' This is Kimmons final year of college football. He entered UMass as a graduate student, having played three seasons at Southeastern where he ran for 892 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games last year. Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays. Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.