Juanita Mike saw the signs early and often that her son Joseph Yearby was going to be a great football player.

Joseph Yearby ran for 2,160 yards and 24 touchdowns during his sophomore season at Miami Central. He is 247Sports' Offensive Player of the Year for the Class of 2014.

“When he was two, Joe would always sleep with a ball,” she said. “I had to take the ball out of his hand. There was something about a ball.”

Around the same age, the lady that took care of Yearby at his daycare forecasted a bright future for young Joe.

“She would say your son is going to be a football player,” Juanita remembered. “She predicted that. If I saw her right now I would congratulate her. She was so right.”

Now one of the top players in the country in the class of 2014, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Yearby has been named the 247Sports Sophomore Offensive Player of the Year, after rushing for 2,160 yards and 24 touchdowns in helping lead Miami Central to a 13-1 record and a spot in the state championship game.

Just like at day care, college coaches are noticing Yearby’s bright future as a football player, and his coach Telly Lockette says that Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami and West Virginia have all extended verbal scholarship offers.

“He’s a very, very patient, patient back,” Lockette began. “He has deceptive speed. He’s a guy that you can give the ball to 30 times. He’s compact, and down the stretch, him and Dalvin Cook were the guys we look to put the ball in their hands late.”

A Little League football legend growing up in the Miami area, Yearby arrived at Miami Central as a freshman and quickly pushed Top100 senior Devonta Freeman, who signed with Florida State, for playing time and Friday night carries. During his two years of varsity football, Yearby takes the most pride in only fumbling once, jokingly giving some of the credit to his sleep habits as a young kid.

“Coming into high school, I didn’t think I could do the things I did playing Little League football,” Yearby said. “It was helpful playing with Devonta towards the season I had this season. He was a lot better than me and he pushed me, and I pushed him, we pushed each other.”

At this point, Yearby hasn’t given much thought to the recruiting process. He says his only college relationship thus far is with Florida State assistant coach Eddie Gran, and along with the Seminoles, added that he’s also high on Alabama and Auburn. Yearby admitted that the Crimson Tide is his early favorite.

“I love the way they run their offenses,” Yearby said of the three schools. This summer he plans to camp at Alabama and Auburn. “They’re power teams and they love to run the ball.”

As much as Yearby loves to run the football, he’s as dedicated to his craft off the field.

“Student of the game,” Lockette said. “He has a lot of knowledge of the game. The thing that he does best, he studies. The one thing I try to tell him, he needs to learn the defensive front and how to attack it, and that’s what he does best.”

After a long day of school and football-related activities, not much has changed for Yearby when he lays down for bed with his arms wrapped around a pigskin.

“I still do that like at least three times a week,” Yearby said with a laugh.