- December 4, 2025
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Sarasota is rich with talented football players this fall, and many of them are seniors, which means fans are running out of time to watch them on the field.
The list is so deep that it was a challenge to include everyone. Several talented players had to be left off, which speaks to the quality of football this area should produce this fall.
These are the top 12 players to watch this fall:
Box score watchers might not realize how talented Kennon is unless they’ve seen him play. He finished last season with mostly modest numbers — 33 tackles (one for a loss of yards) with one interception, one forced fumble and 16 pass breakups.
What those stats don’t tell you is how fast and fluid Kennon plays with his 6-foot-3, 178-pound frame. Earlier this month, he committed to play at Florida State and ranks as the No. 2 cornerback in the nation per 247 Sports.
His stats on offense are more revealing of his potential. He had just 10 receptions, but turned them into 317 yards and six touchdowns.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, Golden will be an intimidating presence for opposing ball carriers this season.
He finished with 61 tackles (29 for a loss of yards), 10 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and a pass breakup last season. College recruiters have taken notice. Golden has received 41 scholarship offers and ranks as a four-star prospect by 247 Sports — the No. 112 recruit in the nation and No. 13 recruit in Florida. He is scheduled to announce his commitment on Aug. 9.
Jackson put up numbers in 2024 that no one in the area could come close to matching. Despite being just a sophomore last year, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound running back rushed for 1,604 yards (9.5 yards per rush) and 28 touchdowns along with four receptions for 64 yards and another score.
He currently has seven Division-I offers, including Auburn, Louisville, NC State and Pitt.
The signal caller of the Tornadoes defense, Hayes led the team with 124 tackles (20 for a loss of yards) with a sack, an interception, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Hayes is a leader with his intelligence. He carries a 4.3 GPA and is committed to play for Vanderbilt. He chose the Commodores over 25 other scholarship offers.
Wortham had a late start to his breakout as a high school player. He played for a struggling Southeast team as a freshman and suffered a hairline fracture to his collarbone five games into his sophomore season.
Last year made those two frustrating years worth the effort. Wortham led one of the top wide receiver groups in the state last year with 67 receptions for 1,360 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall.
He chose to commit to Michigan State in June over 33 other scholarship offers.
Dues had 81 tackles (seven for a loss of yards), a team-leading four interceptions, 25 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
His return is essential to a team that lost Chris McCorkle and Colton Davis — two top defensive backs — to graduation.
Dues, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound safety, committed to Indiana in June over 23 other scholarship offers.
Hugan, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman, finished with 114 tackles, a team-leading 36 tackles for a loss, a team-leading 18 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He committed to Indiana in June over 27 other collegiate football programs.
Young’s was a consistent threat on a team that ran the ball more than 70% of the time.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound wideout led the Cougars in every receiving stat last season with 25 receptions for 626 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He committed to Purdue in June over offers from 23 other Division-I programs.
Thompson was set to be one of Riverview’s top returning defensive players until he transferred to Booker in July.
Now, one of the area’s top defensive linemen will help fortify a Tornadoes defense. Last year, Thompson made 31 tackles (five for a loss of yards) with two sacks.
He has offers from five Division-I football programs.
As a receiver, Wester hauled in 37 receptions for 675 yards and six touchdowns. As a cornerback, he made 22 tackles (two for a loss of yards), 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
The 5-foot-10, 174-pound athlete committed to play for Pitt in March over scholarship offers from 12 other colleges.
Martin has started since his sophomore season and will lead an experienced offensive line at Riverview.
Now one of the strongest and most experienced Rams players, Martin has bulked up into a 6-foot-3, 320-pound center with a 375-pound bench press. He received his first collegiate scholarship offer from Webber International University in July.
West became a starting quarterback as a freshman last season.
Despite leading the Sailors to a 3-7 season, West received scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and UNC this summer.
Chip Bennett, a trainer and recruiting coordinator for The Stable, a quarterback training organization in Tampa, posted on X “We’ve been blessed with a lot of really good (quarterbacks). When it’s all said and done, Hudson West will be among our best.”
