FAMU football commit TJ Cole shines in state title win for Raines

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FAMU football commit TJ Cole shines in state title win for Raines

The 2025 football season may not have gone as planned at Florida A&M.

But Rattler fans may have some hope for the future.

Last Friday, Dec. 12, FAMU commit and Raines senior quarterback Timothy Cole II, nicknamed ‘TJ,’ lifted the Vikings over Miami Northwestern 22-23 to win the FHSAA Class 3A state championship trophy at Pitbull Stadium on Florida International University’s Miami campus.

And it came with drama.

Trailing 22-17 with 1:55 left in the game, Cole led Raines downfield and connected with wide receiver Tadarius Washington for a 17-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left. Washington, wide open, trailing down the left sideline at the time of the catch, plowed through Miami Northwestern defenders to reach the endzone.

Cole also rushed for a touchdown in the final two minutes, 35 seconds of the state championship game to complete the Raines Vikings’ undefeated, 14-0 season.

“I believe it was about Week 3 of Week 4, I challenged myself,” Cole told USA Today’s recruiting reporter Jon Santucci.

“I said, ‘Coach, hey, I want to go down there and get a game-winning drive.’ What bigger moment could we have done it? In the state championship, 1 minute, 55 seconds left. That moment came, and it came true. We did it.”

According to his MaxPreps profile, Cole has completed 473 of 792 (60 percent) passes for 7,754 yards and thrown 105 touchdowns against just 18 interceptions in his four years at Raines. He added 287 carries for 1,945 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.

Cole is near the top of the Jacksonville high school football record books in career touchdown passes and became the first quarterback in the city’s FHSAA history to toss 40 touchdowns in two seasons, which he did in 2024 and 2025.

Raines' Timothy Cole (4) looks to pass during the second quarter of a high school football matchup at Raines High School, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Raines Vikings crusied past the Creekside Knights 52-3.

Cole committed to FAMU football on Nov. 5, amidst the Rattlers’ 5-7 season. FAMU has since relieved former head coach James Colzie III of his duties, effective Dec. 8.

Offensive coordinator Henry Burris was named the acting head coach.

Cole remains committed to FAMU as of Dec. 12.

“Me and Coach Burris have a connection and have talked at least every other week (during the season),” Cole told the Jacksonville Times-Union columnist Ryan O’Halloran.

Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.

Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M football commit Timothy Cole lifts Raines to state title win

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