ORLANDO — Miami commitment Kc McDermott felt the power the first time he slipped on his No. 52 jersey at Palm Beach Central High.
His family had worn that number for 11 years in a row, for every game in program history. His oldest brother, Tyler, sported it until he moved on to play at Colorado State. His other older brother, Shane, represented it well with an All-America high school career.
After Shane graduated and signed with Miami in 2010, the jersey and its responsibilities fell to Kc.
"I got to hold up the legacy," McDermott said this week after practice at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
McDermott will get one more chance to represent No. 52 as a high school player today, when he takes to Tropicana Field as an offensive tackle for Team Nitro in the Under Armour All-America Game.
This game, too, is part of his family's legacy. Shane played in the 2010 game at the Trop, back when he was a three-star recruit. Shane's career continued to blossom at Miami, where he was a third-team all-ACC center during his junior season.
"I'm going to be coming in and sitting behind him for a year and trying to suck in everything like a sponge," said center Nick Linder, a Hurricanes commitment from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. "He's going to be a great tool for me when I get there."
Kc McDermott's high school career surpassed his brothers' legacies. He led the Broncos to their first playoff appearances. The youngest brother grew to be the largest, at 6-foot-6, 301 pounds, and the most decorated. He's a four-star prospect and is ranked among the country's top 60 players by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports.
"He's a big, physical player," said Linder, the younger brother of starting Miami guard Brandon Linder. "He's got fast feet. He's able to move with that size."
Miami Washington defensive end Chad Thomas has lined up against McDermott at camps and combines for three years. He said McDermott's versatility and ability to switch sides and positions make him a prized prospect, and his facial features make him easy to identify with his brothers.
"I know them by face," said Thomas, McDermott's Nitro teammate. "If you see them, they look just like each other."
McDermott's path from Wellington to Coral Gables took an interesting twist last year.
Oldest brother Tyler became a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, which heavily recruited McDermott. Shane's Hurricanes were pushing hard, too.
McDermott said his brothers had a few conversations with him about recruiting, but neither pressed too hard. McDermott eventually chose Miami over the Irish because he wanted to stay close to home. Oral commitments are nonbinding.
Tyler and Shane didn't give him too much advice during the recruiting process, and they haven't said much this week beyond the words they've passed on through their entire careers.
"Represent our family with class," McDermott said. "Show everyone that we're classy people, but we're mean on the field."
FSU adds another: Florida State picked up its second commitment from an Under Armour player when defensive end Lorenzo Featherston gave an oral pledge. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder from Greensboro (N.C.) Pace announced his commitment a day after Miami Central running back Dalvin Cook flipped from the Gators to FSU. Featherston is ESPN's No. 27 overall recruit.
Under Armour All-American game
When: 4 p.m. Thursday
Where: Tropicana Field
Tickets: $18 general admission/$48 family four pack, can be purchased at ticketmaster.com
Times staff writer Matt Baker can be reached at mbaker@tampabay.com or on Twitter @MattHomeTeam.