The Florida high school football season is here, and The News-Press and the Naples Daily News have highlighted the top senior players in Southwest Florida for the 2024 season. Among this group are a few of the most highly touted players in Florida along with school record-holders and unquestioned team leaders.
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Malik Allen
Estero
The 6-foot, 190-pound Allen was a workhorse at running back for the Wildcats last season, rushing 253 times for 1,293 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Logan Bartley
First Baptist
The versatile 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety finished with 101 tackles, a team-high 17.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt, and a blocked field goal for the Lions last season. He has committed to Kansas State.
The Big 15: The top college football recruits from SW Florida high schools ranked No. 6-10
Jack Benaitis
Bishop Verot
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Benaitis was a standout at offensive guard for the Vikings last season, helping the team average more than 200 rushing yards a game and rack up 43 rushing touchdowns.
Khari Bendolph
Naples
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker finished with a team-high 14 sacks for the Golden Eagles last season. He added 67 tackles, including 23 for loss.
Jordan Bergeron
Naples
The 6-foot-2 defensive back had two interceptions for the Golden Eagles last season, with seven pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He is a Western Kentucky commit.
Logan Blanchard
Ida Baker
The 5-foot-8, 180-pound running back and linebacker is among the Bulldogs’ corps of seniors committed to turning around the team’s fortunes.
Niko Boyce
Barron Collier
The 5-foot-11, 198-pound dual-threat quarterback threw for 1,908 yards last season with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 629 yards and 11 more scores.
James Brockmeier
Gulf Coast
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker had 77 tackles and an interception for the Sharks last season.
Jake Bruni
St. John Neumann
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback completed 65% of his passes for 1,686 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while rushing for 241 yards and five scores.
Garyan Burger
Dunbar
The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back had 65 tackles, four passes defended, three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble last season for the Tigers.
Gilbert Charles
Immokalee
The 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back had four interceptions, four pass breakups, 78 tackles, and two forced fumbles for the district-champion Indians last season.
Cole Cooke
Riverdale
The 6-foot-8, 305-pound offensive tackle helped the Raiders average nearly 260 rushing yards per game last season, one of the most prolific running games in the state. Cooke has committed to Florida Atlantic.
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Jayce Cora
Community School of Naples
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver missed most of his junior season at Lely after suffering an injury. The 3-star prospect has several Power 5 offers, including Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Illinois. He has been invited to play in the Under Armor All-American game.
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Ethan Crossan
First Baptist
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound quarterback completed 62% of his passes for 3,264 yards and 40 touchdowns to help lead the Lions back to the Final Four last season. He also rushed for 179 yards and seven scores.
Clark Daley
Mariner
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Daley will be a key figure on both sides of the ball for the Tritons this season. Last year, he rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns while at linebacker, he had 68 tackles, including six for loss, and one fumble recovery.
Cayden Daughtery
Gulf Coast
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound big-play wide receiver had a team-high 16 catches for 408 yards and five touchdowns last season. He added 34 tackles and two interceptions while playing safety for the Sharks.
Kaelan Davidson
Mariner
The 6-foot, 160-pound Davidson was limited by injury last season but is expected to fill a major role for the Tritons at multiple offensive positions.
Chris Davis
Gateway
The 6-foot-3 Davis looks to be the Eagles’ top receiving target this year. In 2023, he had 11 receptions for 112 yards.
Marcus Davis
Dunbar
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Davis will be the linchpin for a Tigers’ offensive front that looks to help power the team to its third consecutive Final Four appearance.
Kirtis Denham
North Fort Myers
The 5-foot-8, 160-pound running back looks to be one of the Red Knights’ primary ballcarriers this season after averaging 7.5 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns in a limited role last season.
Julian DiGregorio
Fort Myers
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound DiGregorio anchored the Green Wave’s linebacking unit last season, racking up 108 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Michael ‘Mint’ Edwards
Dunbar
The 5-foot-10, 270-pound defensive tackle led the Tigers in tackles-for-loss with 26 stops…
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