The high school football season officially begins Friday across the Gainesville area, with the talent pool refilled for the 2024 season.
In a week and a half, the lights on Gale Lemerand Drive and Stadium Road will shine for the first time in months when the Florida Gators take on the Miami Hurricanes.
From this point on, the Gators will be the talk of the town, and Billy Napier’s job security will also be a topic of conversation.
There’s another kind of football that North Central Florida residents can focus on. It starts a week earlier and often proves to be far less toxic.
I am, of course, referring to high school football.
The action from Bradford to Levy Counties starts this Friday and the talent pool is full again this season.
The region has lost great players, from CJ Ingram to Myles Graham to Chason Clark, each player leaving an indelible mark on their programs and communities.
However, a new group of heroes will try to take their place and make a name for themselves.
Here are the 21 best players in the Gainesville area for the 2024 season:
Spur Johnson
School: Buchholz
Year: Junior
position: QB
scoop: What will happen during Johnson’s encore? This is the question on everyone’s mind.
As the son of former Gators quarterback Doug Johnson, the Buchholz quarterback stormed the stage in his second year.
He filled the shoes of Creed Whittemore wonderfully and threw 2,844 yards (26th in Florida) and 35 touchdowns.
The Bobcats had a perfect 13-0 record and were the top-ranked team in Class 4S before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Lakeland in the state championship semifinals to end their season.
However, Johnson lost running backs Quinton Cutler and Myles Graham as well as several key receivers.
On defense, the ‘Cats lost Graham and DL Kendall Jackson – both SEC newcomers.
Jarquez Carter
School: Newberry
Year: Senior
position: DL
scoop: Carter, who committed to Ohio State, had the choice between four different schools.
He headlines an absolutely strong Newberry front seven. His 2023 numbers – 67 tackles and nine sacks – do not do justice to his talent.
He is one of the best players in the region.
Myka Newton
School: Newberry
Year: Senior
position: DL
scoop: Newton committed to NC State in July, but last Friday he changed his commitment and transferred to Miami, becoming the first major recruit to stay in the state.
He is Carter’s partner on the defensive line and is just as talented.
He had 62 tackles and 13 sacks, leading Class 1R.
Adrian Curtis
School: Hawthorn
Year: Senior
position: QB
scoop: Our first of several transfers on this list, Curtis moved across the county from Eastside to Hawthorne last Sunday, where CJ Ingram currently remains the boss of the Hornets.
However, Curtis will be more than ready to step in should Ingram decide to sit out to focus on basketball.
The senior transferred from PK Yonge to Eastside for the 2023 season. He led the Rams to a regional semifinal appearance in the 2S with over 1,800 passing yards and 21 TDs.
Caleb Woods
School: Newberry
Year: Junior
position: RB
scoop: Woods ran 1,250 yards in 2023, finishing 64th in Florida and was in the top 10 in Class 1R.
In a Newberry offense that is losing QB Keil McGriff to Buchholz, the junior’s role is only expected to grow in 2024.
East Jones
School: Chief
Year: Junior
position: RB
scoop: Jones lived in the shadows on a mediocre Chiefland team last year, but the junior ran for 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns, revitalizing an Indian offense that struggled under center.
His rush yards and TDs ranked in the top 10 of 1R in 2023.
Keenon Johnson
School: Hawthorn
Year: Senior
position: RB
scoop: Statistically, Johnson was the only local running back to outrebound Woods.
Hawthorne is attracting national attention due to its physical defense and the theatrical performance of QB CJ Ingram.
But the Hornets’ real bread and butter is the running game, and that’s where Johnson excels, totaling nearly 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Hayden Moore
School: Newberry
Year: Senior
position: WR
scoop: With the departure of Keil McGriff and the arrival of Colin Dunmore, there is some uncertainty in Newberry’s offense.
But with Moore back as receiver, the Panthers’ offense should be in good hands.
Moore was one of two receivers in Class 1R to cross the 900-yard mark (940) and scored 12 total touchdowns. He crossed the 100-yard mark four times, with his performance in a win over Crescent City being the highlight of the season with 135 yards and three touchdowns.
Justin Williams
School: Buchholz
Year: Junior
position: WR
scoop: In terms of numbers, Williams was the region’s best receiver in 2023.
And he can back up his performance with more than just numbers. The junior made phenomenal catches for the Bobcats all season and formed a dynamic duo with QB Trace Johnson.
He passed for over 1,000 yards (1,005) and had a total of 17 TDs.
Gavin Jenkins
School: Union County
Year: Senior
position: ATH
scoop: Jenkins chose Toledo in June, and for good reason.
The Fightin’ Tiger may have managed less than 500 yards last season, but he was impactful in many ways and will be a pure ATH for UCH in 2024.
Mike Peterson Jr.
School: Fort White
Year: Senior
position: WR
scoop: Peterson certainly has talent, but with Buchholz’s receiver room crowded, the son of Florida alumnus and coach Mike Peterson Sr. decided to take his talent to Fort White.
There, the Arkansas State player will work with quarterback Jayden Jackson.
Peterson expects to reach new heights in 2024 with an offense that was explosive in 2023.
Nick Clayton
School: Buchholz
Year: Senior
position: POUND
scoop: Clayton, who committed to Wisconsin, suddenly goes from being a contributor to Buchholz’s top-notch defense to a leader after the departure of Myles Graham, Thomas Weinhardt and several others.
However, Clayton is more than capable, with 52 total tackles and three sacks in 2023.
Logan McCloud
School: Newberry
Year: Senior
position: ATH
scoop: McCloud has committed to Wofford and is truly one of the most promising talents in the area and a cog in Newberry’s engine.
He had 73 tackles, six sacks, and two interceptions in 2023. It should come as no surprise if he gets some time as a TE as well.
Elijah Daniels
School: Buchholz
Year: Senior
position: DL
scoop: Buchholz lost a lot of talent from his roster in 2023, but Daniels returns and looks to improve his game with the Bobcats and their D-line.
He had 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Jeremiah McKenzie
School: Frankfurt
Year: Senior
position: ATH
scoop: McKenzie, who has committed to Central Michigan, is praised especially on defense.
With 101 tackles in 2023 (24th in 2S).
On offense, however, he had a lot of possessions and ran for 332 yards, top 100 in 2S.
Duke Lewis
School: Frankfurt
Year: Senior
position: POUND
scoop: The Tornadoes’ defense, which finished second at the state, lost several key players from the 2023 class, including Chason Clark and Chalil Cummings.
However, Lewis is back and that is good news for Bradford fans.
He had 104 tackles (20th in Class 2S) and 12 sacks (81st in Florida, 8th in 2S).
Naziy Gent
School: Hawthorn
Year: Senior
position: POUND
scoop: Gent played second fiddle to the Hornets’ defense in 2023, but that wasn’t his fault.
Hawthorne’s defense was loaded for their state championship squad and Gent was a key player on that unit.
He finished the game with 100 tackles (16th in 1R) and five sacks (27th in 1R).
Jay Giunta
School: Buchholz
Year: Senior
position: Kicker
scoop: Is it a little surprising to add a kicker to this list? Yes, it is, but I assure you, Giunta deserves his place.
The Bobcats kicker scored 16 field goals (top in Florida) and 46 PATs (9th in class 4S).
When Mark Whittemore puts Giunta on the field, he has a pretty good chance of converting the kick – a rare and useful trait in high school football.
Trevor Maddox
School: Branford
Year: Senior
position: ATH
scoop: Maddox not only serves as the engine for the Buccaneers’ offense, but also for their defense.
He had 101 tackles (15th in 1R) and 549 rush yards (35th in 1R). Branford will try to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Jamari Williams
School: Williston
Year: Senior
position: RB
scoop: Williams played Musical Chairs with Jace McDonald and Jharez Williams.
This season, however, the Red Devils’ backfield belongs to him. Williams ran for 843 yards, top 20 in 1R. In 2024, he should shine in coach Robby Pruitt’s RB-friendly offense.
Jayden Jackson
School: Fort White
Year: Senior
position: QB
scoop: After turning things around (9-2) in 2023, the Indians have high expectations.
Jackson, the son of coach Demetric Jackson, was instrumental in this turnaround.
He was captain of an explosive Indian offense with over 1,600 passing yards (6th in 1R) and a total of over 1,900 yards.
FW’s offense scored over 34 points in eight of nine wins.
Noah Ram covers high school sports in the Gainesville area and athletics at the University of Florida for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.
