Neptune Beach Fl- The Fletcher Senators lost some good talent last year, but seem to have reloaded their roster with talent and could be a scary team to face in the fall. Class of 2028 Quarterback Cruz James will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. Iowa commit, Diondre Smith, is an extremely elusive playmaker for Fletcher who snagged 2 receiving touchdowns Tuesday night.
James is a hidden gem, with height and effortless arm strength. He’ll have another year at Fletcher after transferring from NFEI after the 2023 season. As a rising sophomore, the offers will start to come in as soon as colleges begin to recruit the 2028 athletes.
Along side Smith, Joshua Jones will be an elite weapon for the Senators in the fall, after transferring from Zarephath Academy this winter. Jones was not able to play Tuesday night but he currently holds offers from Syracuse, Auburn, and FAMU.
The Senators will look to have an extremely dynamic backfield as well this fall. Jah’myri Jennings will continue his tough running style and be a big, reliable running back. Another Zarephath transfer, Jamez Williams, is an super shifty running back that will allow the senators to have the perfect one two punch.
Fletcher was also able to add some reinforcements on the offensive line this offseason. Mandarin transfer Ethan McClain and Andrew Jackson transfer Roy Farrow (26′ 6’3, 285 OL/DL) look to give James some more protection in his sophomore season. Farrow already has an offer from Middle Tennessee State.
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Elijah Keys highlights the Senator defense. The UCF commit had a 50 yard pick six Tuesday evening. Luke Burghardt had a monster game for the Senators, racking up a multiple sacks and two fumble recoveries. Tony Brown, a 6’0 class of 2027 safety has offers from Wofford, as well as 2026 slot/ running back Daunte Mills who also holds an offer from Wofford.
Look out for junior Solomon ”solo” Pinkney who had 433 yards and 7 TDs last year. There’s 2027 wide receiver Jordan Nelson, as well as 2027 linebacker Will Reynolds who had 33 tackles and 5 pass deflections, following the school’s storied history of having a talented Reynolds continue the football bloodline.
the calm before the storm⏳🔜 @Star_ReadyAth @Dwight_XOS @JustinBarneyTV @DuvalSports @PrepRedzoneFL @JeremyO_Johnson @larryblustein @RivalsFriedman @ChadSimmons_ @harrison2121 pic.twitter.com/BLi5x2dN5y
— Joshua "Batman" Jones (@JoshuaJones3x) May 10, 2025
Head coach Ciatrick Fason stepped into the Fletcher job in August of 2021 without an off-season of preparation. and has led the Senators to the playoffs every year since. The program has attracted some of the top talent in the area, and has put some of the top recruited talent into D-1 programs.
For Fleming Island, losing quarterback Cibastian Broughton to college (Akron) was a huge blow for the Golden Eagles. However, Eric Gentry stepped in for the Golden Eagles for the first time and immediately made some big plays. On back to back drives, Gentry would find receivers Tristan Stevenson and Trace Burney for pair of touchdowns to open the game.
Both receivers will be very dangerous weapons for Fleming Island in the fall. Burney has offers from Arkansas State, Akron, Georgia Southern, Jax Sate, and James Madison. Sebastian Cruz, a 6’0, 180lbs Rutgers commit will be a key part to the defense. The speedster had 110 tackles, 5 interceptions last year.
Had a great first game of my junior season playing both sides of the ball against Clay.
— Sebastian Cruz (@sebastiancblife) August 27, 2024
-1 forced fumble
-2 pass breakups
-3 TD’s
-lots of tackles@DChipoletti @cotero1976 @GregDaniels_OL @FIHSFOOTBALL https://t.co/jBSfhjbahG pic.twitter.com/orlNQAjMSD
On the defensive side, Jarius Rodgers was a game wrecker for Fleming Island. The 4 star defensive end is currently committed to Syracuse, and looks to give quarterbacks nightmares all year. Rogers stands at 6 foot 5, 222 pounds, with long arms and impressive size. He’s one of the most impressive athletes in the area.
Special teams is an area that a select few teams excel in, and Fleming Island is one of those teams. Parker Sirdevan, a 4 star kicker is #78 in the country. He hit several game-winners including one with 0:04 left to defeat Ponte Vedra last year.
In the secondary, the Ridgeview transfer Jace Thrift was able to bring in a nice interception, a great way to start off his tenure as a Golden Eagle. Fleming Island’s head coach Derek Chipoletti stepped in last year just days before the start of the regular season. He led them to the second round of the playoffs, a very similar story to Fason.
6'5, 220lbs Edge rusher Jarius Rodgers @JariusRodgers of Fleming Island is a big time recruit in Northeast Florida! The 4⭐️ Syracuse @CuseFootball commit is ranked #23 at his position in Florida! pic.twitter.com/VtMg4vwjEV
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) May 22, 2025
Both programs mirror one another not only as playoff teams, but programs that have put top athletes into D-1 college programs in recent years. UCF, Syracuse, Iowa, Akron and many more have come through the halls of both schools, a testament to their commitment to taking athletes to the next level.
