JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A championship season and a championship signing day haul for the Raines Vikings on Wednesday’s national signing day.
Eight players from the Raines’ Class 3A football title team put pen to paper to finalize their college choices. Factor in the early signings from last December (Raines had six in that window) and the champs were massively represented.
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Quarterback TJ Cole, the biggest undecided local prospect, put his recruiting to rest and signed with Morgan State.
“It was pretty cold, but you know, I got to get used to it pretty quickly,” Cole said. “Coach [Apollo] Wright, Coach [Damon] Wilson, they accepted me with open arms, and you know I just felt the love, and I just feel like I can go up there and make an impact early.”
Cole had a 27-1 record at Raines and leaves the Vikings the all-time leader in passing yardage and touchdowns. He led Raines to a 23-22 win over Miami Northwestern last December to win the 3A crown.
Cole led a solid local contingent to sign with Morgan State. Bishop Kenny TE James Davis III, Mandarin OL Kerrick Jackson and First Coast dual-threat star Tony Kennedy Jr. all signed with the Bears.
The numbers
It was a robust signing day on the football side, with more than 90 players (and counting) signing national letters of intent. A look at the college programs that signed the most local players on Wednesday:
St. Thomas University, Warner University: 6
Morgan State, Presbyterian College: 5
Keiser University, Valdosta State, West Florida: 4
Ex-Jag QB’s son to ECU
Former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard has to feel pretty good about his son, Justin’s, college choice. It’s a place the family knows well.
Justin, an offensive lineman at Fletcher, signed with East Carolina on Wednesday. A Garrard at ECU? Sounds familiar.
David was drafted by the Jaguars in the fourth round in 2002 and spent nine years with the franchise, including a Pro Bowl berth in 2009. He set 28 school passing records and was inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame in 2013.
Harris leads elite Trinity baseball class
Trinity Christian had a massive signing class headlined by nine baseball signees, including heralded outfielder Brady Harris.
The 6-2, 185-pound four-year starter for the Conquerors and three-time All-News4JAX selection is coming off a career season where he hit .398 with 21 RBI and 13 extra-base hits. In his career, Harris is a .365 hitter (88 for 241) with 17 doubles, 12 homers and five triples. He’s also driven in 70 runs.
Last fall, Harris was rated the 10th-best high school prospect for the 2026 draft by MLB.com and projects to be in that spot again once draft projections start making their way out in the coming months. MLB.com has Harris the No. 34 overall prospect. That means Harris will likely have a big decision to make when the draft arrives July 12-13.
“Yeah, that’s awesome, man. I think it’s cool to have either opportunity either way,” he said. “So, I think no matter what, I’m excited for the future, no matter what it holds for me, either route.”
Harris led a boatload of baseball talent at Trinity to sign with a major college on Wednesday where nine of the 10 signees are headed to Division I programs.
Tyler Ellis and Ethan Wheeler joined Harris in signing with the Gators. Aiden Arnett (Virginia Tech), Jordan Martinez and Parker Loew (both LSU), Ryan Walls (Ole Miss) and Gage Petrutz (Alabama) are all bound for SEC or ACC schools. Romy DeCenzo (Davidson College) and Chris Reali (UNF) are also bound for college programs. The Conquerors will be ranked high nationally and looking to return to the state championship. Trinity went 30-5 last year and lost in the title game.
“It’s just a blessing from the Lord above, man. I mean, I’ve worked really hard to get in the position I am, and it’s just a true, true showing of hard work. I think if you put your mind to something, no matter what, you can do it,” Harris said.
“I really worked hard to be here, and nothing was handed to any of these guys up here. So, I think it just shows that if you’re a young kid out there and you’re trying to make it in this game, it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of true belief in yourself. So, I’m super thankful for the Lord blessing me with the belief in myself and the ability to do what I love.”