Jones adds 14 NSD football signees, making 21 total for 2026 class

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Jones High had 14 seniors sign with colleges Wednesday on National Signing Day, raising the number of Tigers going to college to play football to 21 in the Class of 2026.

The total tied for the second largest signing class in school history.

Since Elijah Williams took over the Jones program in 2016, 168 players have signed to play college football. Williams said this year was the most difficult for finding college homes for his players due to the NCAA transfer portal and it’s trickle-down effect on high school seniors.

Jones High sends football players to college at impressive rate

Jones’ largest signing class was in 2018, when 25 signed.

“I’m just proud of the kids, accepting that the path has changed,” Williams said. “They have to accept that, ‘OK, I probably should be going P4 or I probably should be going FCS, but because of this portal I’m gonna have to go to a smaller D-I or D-II school and just play, get film and transfer up.

“We even had two go juco this year. It’s the first time I had a player go juco that wasn’t because of grades. They have great grades, but they’re just going there to give them a better opportunity to get to a bigger school.”

Williams said for some of his players, they were still trying to figure things out at the 11th hour on Tuesday night before signing day.

“We were at the school until 11 o’clock last night,” Williams said. “It was to the last minute. The last week was really crazy.”

Jones did have one player who found an FBS home in the last spring recruiting hustle. Kicker Kason Mullis signed with Delaware, which transitioned as a Football Bowl Subdivision program last year.

Mullis was a Sentinel First-Team All-Area selection this season. He kicked a school record 53-yard field goal, and also made a pair of 45-yarders. Mullis also had a 40-plus average on punts.

Sentinel Offensive Player of the Year, Marceles Carey, the do-everything athlete at DeLand, finally found himself an FBS home, signing with Bowling Green. Carey rushed for 1,479 yards and an area-leading 31 touchdowns. He also led DeLand in receiving, catching 27 balls for 693 yards and seven touchdowns

Three other area players landed with FBS schools in the second signing period: Safety Emari Peterson of Evans is headed to LSU, DB Ja’Cari Jackson of Olympia to FAU and DB E’Shawn Sutton of Winter Park to Central Michigan.

St. Thomas of Miami, an NAIA program, signed a number of locals.

Here are the Orlando area February football signees:

Boone

Will Buzyniski, DL, St Thomas

Adrian Foster, DB, New Mexico Highlands

Sam Johnson, WQB, Bemidji State

Aaron Hardy Jr., RB, Southeastern

Jayden Jimenez, OL, Rensselaer Polytechnic institute

DeLand

Marceles Carey, ATH, Bowling Green

Evans

Emari Peterson, DB, LSU

Hagerty

Trevor Covelli, OL, West Florida

Leo Gutierrez, FB-LS, Merchant Marine Academy

Makiye McBurse, WR, St Thomas

Greg Weatherington, WR, St Thomas

Horizon

Kaio Oliveira, RB, Princeton

Jones

Savion Brooks, DB New Mexico Highlands

Jason Charleston, DB, St. Thomas

Je’Narr Cobb, DB, Florida Memorial

Bertrand Derose. LB, St. Thomas

Steve Dorsainvil, DE, Garden City CC

Ryan Duval, LB, Seton Hill

Aveon Emmanuel, DB, Florida Memorial

Landen Gaines, DB, St. Thomas

David Lee, DL, Daytona Beach Christian

Kason Mullis, K-P, Delaware

Maecellus Reese, DB, Garden City CC

Dainian Success, OL, Florida Memorial

Daunte Wallace, RB, New Mexico Highlands

Stephen Williams, TE, Bethune-Cookman

Lake Highland Prep

Eddie Bohne, WR, Gettysburg

Will Wankelman, QB, Denison

Brady Weber, WR, Chapman

Mount Dora Christian

Roberto Castillo, LB, Keiser

Ocoee

Damar’eon Cawthon, WR, Southeastern

Tyron Curnell, OL, Albany State

Tyler Duvermont, OL, St. Thomas

Jaden Morrison, OL, Graceland

Olympia

Ja’Cari Jackson, DB, FAU

Dante Jones, DL, Olivet

Undrae Peters, DB, Fort Lauderdale

Dylan Robinson, DB, Harding

Daniel Stills, DB, Wabash College

Eric Weems Jr., ATH, Bethune-Cookman (PWO)

South Lake

Jesse Barker Jr., DL, West Florida

Isaiah Desir, DL, Southeastern

Tyger Darden, DB, Erskine

Isaiah Pina, TE-WR, Southern

Christian Taylor, OL, Keiser

West Orange

Edison Delgado, WR, Mars Hill

Alex Castellanos, OL, Concordia

Windermere

Jeffrey Forrester, OL, Mars Hill

Braylen Speed, ATH, Bethany College

Winter Park

E’Shawn Sutton, DB, Central Michigan

Please email Chris Hays at chays@orlandosentinel.com with any omissions.

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