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The Hurricanes believe they plucked a diamond from the rough in the Jacksonville area. Miami secured a commitment from 2025 offensive lineman Takaylen “TK” Muex, a standout lineman from Fletcher High in Neptune Beach on Thursday. Muex announced his commitment via On3Sports. Muex, who is rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, also has offers from Appalachian State, Louisville and UCF.

One person is dead and two people were hospitalized Thursday afternoon after a shooting in a Hollywood neighborhood, police said. Officers were called to the 5800 block of McKinley Street shortly before 4:30 p.m., police department spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said. One person was pronounced dead there. The two who were injured were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital as trauma alerts, Bettineschi said.

UCF basketball has added another transfer to its roster by signing former Memphis forward JJ Taylor. Taylor appeared in three games as a freshman last season for the Tigers, totaling six minutes and 2 rebounds. “JJ is a very talented player with tremendous upside,’ said coach Johnny Dawkins in a statement. “At 6-8, his versatility will allow him to impact the game on both ends.

TALLAHASSEE —  Florida announced record tourism numbers for the first quarter of 2024, as totals for international visitors continue to move closer to pre-pandemic levels. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said Thursday an estimated 40.6 million people traveled to Florida during the first three months of the year, a 1.2% increase from the same period in 2023.

If UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone needs extra motivation to head into the weekend’s NCAA Softball Regional in Tallahassee, she only needs to look at her desk. There sits a constant reminder from last season’s regional in Tallahassee. “There was an article posted after we lost that first game against Florida State,” Ball-Malone said.

Despite South Florida’s reputation as an increasingly expensive place to live, many of the region’s major cities showed gains in population between July 2022 and July 2023, according to data released Thursday by the U. S. Census Bureau. “Cities with populations of 50,000 or more grew by an average of 0.2% in the Northeast and 0.1% in the Midwest after declining an average of 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, in 2022.