Northeast Florida- If you havent heard there’s a heat wave sweeping the area, and just as the summer has been scorching so too have these teams heading into the 2023 high school football season.
High School Media Day is one day away, so follow our coverage on DuvalSports.com
Get Your Player Profile Today!! Click the link or the picture below
Get Your Player Profile Today!! Click the link or the picture!
1. Mandarin (Red Hot)- The Mustangs had the hottest summer of any team as the district winner got even better with key additions on both sides of the ball. Already returning at quarterback Florida State commit Tramell Jones who passed for 2,310 yards and 23 touchdowns his junior year. Mandarin also has recent Alabama commit Jaime Ffrench Jr (WR), and defensive backs Antoine Belgrave-shorter, and Jon Mitchell both Penn State commits.
New comers to the team are rising senior Offensive Tackle Deryc Plazz (Miami commit) who comes over from Jackson, and 4-star safety and rising junior Drake Stubbs who comes over from Oakleaf along with all around weapon Carlos Witherup. On paper, no team stacks up to their D1 star power.
2. Bradford County (Red Hot)- The Tornadoes were just one win away from going to the state championship game last year. With their top runner out for the season (Cincinnati commit Manny Covey) they would fall to eventual state champion Cocoa. Their a close nit team, in a close nit community that galvanizes the players to perform every night.
Some of those key players are returning, include linebacker Chason Clark (Marshall commit), linebacker Torin Brazell (8 D1 offers), athlete Chalil Cummings (24 D1 offers), athlete Dae’jon Shanks (8 D-1 offers), and RB Willie Pollard (Ga Southern offer) all of whom are seniors. Rising junior QB Jeremiah McKenzie (Ga Southern offer) is set to follow up a break out year last year, as he showed he is a true game-breaker.
3. University Christian (Red Hot)- The departure of Orel Gray and Desirrio Riles will leave two gaping holes that you just don’t replace. Luckily for UC they don’t have to, as the rest of their 2022 roster was young and hungry. They’ll be ready to come back for more in 2023, after advancing to the state semifinals defeating Trinity Christian in the process.
One of those reasons returns in wide receiver Jenoa Alford. Just a sophomore, he amazed with his ability to get open and go over the top of defenders. His quarterback Dwayne Stuckey Jr was a playmaker and unsung hero of the team. He made lots of plays during crunch time. Both are rising juniors. UC’s leading tackler Luke Thomas returns at linebacker, as well as Ryan Oakley Jr, an opportunistic DB that generates turnovers. Dah’kari Gilley will be called upon to make lots of plays for his team at multiple positiions. The Rutgers commit will be up for the task.
4. Trinity (Hot)- After losing 4-star running back Treyaun Webb, one would think that Trinity would be a team cooling off. Not so fast my friend, as Lee Corso says, as the Conqueors have several starters returning for unfinished business. Coming back for a senior year is arguably the best running back in Northeast Florida Darnell Rogers (Valdosta St commit). In additon to Rogers, Trinity has LSU commit Colin Hurley at quarterback, who is ready to go out with a bang after reclassifying to come out of high school early. He’ll be throwing to one of the best wide receivers in the area Miles Burris (Charlotte Commit).
On defense FAU commit Kyle Boylston returns after a stellar year with 6 interceptions at safety. Linebacker Cam Anderson was second in the area in tackles last year, and is one of the most under-recruited players in NE Florida. Senior linebacker Bryce Kazmierczak will have a monster year, just watch.
5. Bolles (Hot)– At quarterback, DJ Moore Jr (Coastal Carolina commit) leads the way for the Bulldogs who will rely on his leadership to captain a young but talented team. Moore’s targets at wide receiver include rising sophomore sensation Naeem Burroughs who already has an offer from Alabama.
The signature Bolles running game will fall in the hands of juniors Ty Neal and Emmett Grzebin. Senior linebacker Trent Carter (Louisville commit) spear-heads the defense, along with Garrison Butler (Cincinnati commit). Then there’s sophomore (DE) big 6’5 Corbyn Fordham, who follows the footsteps of two older brothers currently playing D1 football, and his father (Todd Fordham) who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The rising sophomore already has offers from Alabama, NC State and Louisville.
Honorable Mention:
6. Raines (Hot)- The Vikings have some of the highest recruited players in the nation. They aren’t just big time recruits, but they are big time workers as well. The biggest of them is Big Solomon Thomas who stands at 6’5, 315 lbs. He’s a state champion in the discus and extrodinare chorus singer. Oh and by the way, he’s one of the top linemen in the country with with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Florida and Penn State.
The next big man is Jyon “BigCatt” Simon, a 6’3, 285lb terror on the defensive line with offers from Texas, Auburn, Georgia Tech. Both big men are just rising juniors. Big playmakers to watch are RB Mark Miller on offense and DB Nicholas Kilpatrick on defense. They both can take it to the house in an instant. Sleepers are QB Tyren “T.Y.” Rndolph and athlete Terrell Sheppard, (son of NFL great Lito Sheppard) they’ll turn heads this year.
Teams warming Up:
7. Bartram Trail- UCF commit Riley Trujillo leads the Bears into his senior season at quarterback. While running back Laython Biddle ran wild in 2022, and looks to keep it rolling 2023.
8. Fletcher- Coach Fason gets it done! Two straight trips to the playoffs after taking over and he has his star quarterback Marcelis Tate (USF commit) returning, along with his big target Anthony Vaglienti at wide receiver.
9. Ed White- Coach Lawrence Johnson keeps revitalizing and revolutionizing the Commander program with new talent. Quarterback Jaylen Pettway comes over from Terry Parker to lead the offense. He teams up with defensive back Josh Patterson (20- D1 offers) who may be the best DB in the entire area. It’s his defense now, after the departure of his brother Davaughn Patterson (Wake Forest).
10. St Augustine– Quarterback Locklan Hewlett (Wake Forest commit) was the best passer statistically in Northeast Florida in 2022. There’s no reason to think that he won’t be even better in 2023 especially with 6’3 wide receiver and rising junior Carl Jenkins Jr (14-D1 offers) catching balls and making plays.
