JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Class of 2025 is on the clock. The high school football season begins in full on Aug. 23 and the early signing period is the earliest that it’s ever been, thanks to the Collegiate Commissioners Association moving up by three weeks beginning this year.
That means that instead of recruits waiting until the latter portion of December, recruits can sign during the three-day window now is Dec. 4-6. The area has a blockbuster crop of recruits in the Class of 2025, including three five-star players (Raines offensive tackle Solomon Thomas, Mandarin receiver Jaime Ffrench and Camden County tight end Elyiss Williams).
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News4JAX takes a look at 20 of the top recruits in the Class of 2025 and puts those prospects into three tiers as the start of fall practice approaches. Players are listed alphabetically.
The blue chips
| Position, Player | Height, Weight | High school | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| WR Jaime Ffrench Jr. | 6-1, 185 | Mandarin | Uncommitted |
| QB Tramell Jones Jr. | 6-0, 195 | Mandarin | Florida State |
| S Drake Stubbs | 6-2, 180 | Mandarin | Miami |
| OL Solomon Thomas | 6-5, 315 | Raines | Florida State |
| TE Elyiss Williams | 6-7, 240 | Camden County | Georgia |
Thoughts on Nos. 1 through 5: This grouping is led by Thomas (below), Ffrench, Williams, Stubbs and Jones in that order. Thomas will go down as perhaps the biggest recruit (rankings-wise) in Raines’ storied history. He’s a five-star player by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals, and a four-star by On3. Ffrench is a 247Sports five-star. Williams, a five-star by 247Sports, is an absolute monster in the mold of first-round pick Kyle Pitts. Those three are consensus top-100 players. Stubbs, the reigning All-News4JAX defensive player of the year, is a four-star across the board, and just one spot away (On3 has him at 101) from being a consensus top 100 recruit. Jones is an Elite 11 player who is a top 100 player in Florida who has a shot to finish in the top three in area history in career passing yards. Jones’ size will cap his rise in any sort of recruiting rankings. But these players are the unquestioned top five in the area in the Class of 2025.
The next wave
| Position, Player | Height, Weight | High school | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDGE Colby Cronk | 6-3, 250 | Flagler Palm Coast | NC State |
| TE Tae’shaun Gelsey | 6-4, 220 | Riverside | Florida |
| WR Carl Jenkins | 6-3, 170 | St. Augustine | UCF |
| OL Takaylen Muex | 6-5, 310 | Fletcher | Miami |
| S Joshua Patterson | 6-0, 165 | White | Iowa State |
| DL Jyon Simon | 6-2, 260 | Raines | Rutgers |
Thoughts on Nos. 6 through 11: Some talent here. Gelsey has been a rapid riser in the recruiting world and committed to the Gators last week. If his pledge holds, Gelsey will be just the third area tight end to have signed with the Gators in the past 25 years (Episcopal’s Nick Elksnis in 2021 and University Christian’s AC Leonard in 2011). Cronk is a four-star by ESPN and rated a top 40 national EDGE by the publication. He’s a multisport star for FPC. Muex is a massive body on the interior of the line and a consensus three-star player. Simon is an OL mover for a Vikings team that has state championship expectations, and a consensus three-star player. Patterson is a hard-hitting safety who comes from a football family (brother Jaison signed with Bowling Green and Davaughn went to Wake Forest). Jenkins (pictured below) is a Rivals four-star, but unranked by On3. In our rankings, Gelsey would be No. 6 followed by Jenkins at 7, Cronk at No. 8, Muex and Patterson and Nos. 9 and 10 and Simon at 11.
Don’t forget these players
| Position, Player | Height, Weight | High school | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB Sean Ashenfelder | 6-0, 170 | Creekside | Rutgers |
| DL Bernard Carter | 6-3, 240 | Middleburg | Iowa State |
| WR Chase Collier | 6-1, 175 | Bolles | Baylor |
| QB Ethan Drumm | 6-2, 200 | Bolles | Georgia State |
| EDGE Sam Hayward | 6-3, 205 | Providence | Uncommitted |
| QB Locklan Hewlett | 6-1, 180 | St. Augustine | USF |
| WR Myles Kendrick | 6-0, 165 | Riverside | Indiana |
| ATH Mike Peterson Jr. | 6-1, 165 | Fort White | Arkansas State |
| ATH Kaylib Singleton | 6-3, 175 | Oakleaf | Rutgers |
Thoughts on Nos. 12 through 20: Hewlett is a consensus three-star and poised for a big final season after leading the Yellow Jackets to the 3M championship game last year. Ashenfelder (pictured below) is a very good dual-threat QB and a consensus three-star recruit. ESPN has him rated as the No. 51 QB in the country. Collier is a consensus three-star and a top 150 player in Florida by three recruiting services (On3, 247Sports, ESPN). Hayward is a three-star by three of the four major recruiting services. His father, Reggie, was a former Jaguars player who could get to the passer.
Another player whose father had NFL ties is Peterson Jr., a three-star at Fort White. He’ll need to get bigger but colleges love players who have NFL bloodlines. Carter is a three-star and has good size. Singleton is a player who has the talent to play at a bigger program than where he’s currently committed to. Kendrick is a three-star by all services except On3. He’s an excellent player and one who should see his stock rise this season. Drumm is a bit under the radar for the Bulldogs right now, but is positioned well to see an uptick in his college options this year. Ranking these players, Singleton, Hewlett, Hayward and Collier would be Nos. 12 through 15, respectively. Ashenfelder and Kendrick at Nos. 16 and 17. Carter at 18, Peterson at 19 and Drumm at No. 20.