Northeast Florida football's junior class is electrifying. Meet 28 for 28

For another few months, the calendar still says 2026.

But for football fans with a focus on recruiting, the buzz is building for 2028.

With two of the top three highest-rated high school football prospects nationwide in Bolles' Asher Ghioto and Mandarin's Brysen Wright

, Northeast Florida's class of 2028 is already stirring comparisons with the deepest and strongest recruiting classes in the area's history.

Ghioto and Wright both enter the year at USA TODAY Preseason All-Americans.

In addition to Ghioto and Wright, five other area juniors this spring were named among the nation's top 300 by either ESPN or Rivals: Bolles running back Xander Edwards, Raines defensive back Zion Green, Trinity Christian defensive back Za'Khari Greene, Zarephath Academy

offensive lineman Omari Lawson and Bolles tight end J.C. Wessel.

What makes this class even more scary for opponents? The First Coast includes numerous other players drawing Football Bowl Subdivision interest, from running backs (like Columbia's Jerome Horne and Raines' Donovan Moss) to linemen (like Bolles' Luke Odom and Bishop Kenny's Jerald Dewdney) to defensive backs (like Nease's Rasheed Grant and Tocoi Creek's David Burton). And that list will only grow longer as more Jacksonville-area prospects get their chance to shine in front of recruiters during 2026 and 2027.

Time for 28 for 28: A list of 28 Class of 2028 Jacksonville-area recruits that fans need to know.

QB Knox Annis, Mandarin

Height/weight: 6-3, 210

Why he's here: Annis is already lined up for major college football, committing to Miami in April. He's rated as a top-50 quarterback nationwide in the 2028 class, throwing quality deep balls. In 2025, he completed 112 of 186 (60.2 percent) with 2,203 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His movement is also a plus, including 330 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

ATH Jaiden Barnett, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-1, 165

Why he's here: An all-around playmaker at wide receiver or elsewhere. He caught 38 passes for 589 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore, following a 397-yard freshman season. Barnett also gained 339 yards on returns in 2025. Transferred to Bolles before the season from Baldwin. His early listed offers include Colorado and West Virginia.

LB Brett Bearden, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-2, 220

Why he's here: Bearden is a multi-sport Bulldog who has also placed top five in the state in consecutive seasons in wrestling. He recorded 58 tackles and a fumble recovery as a sophomore. His early offers include South Florida, Temple and Western Kentucky.

DT Anson Bivins, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-3, 330

Why he's here: Bivins has seen action on both sides of the line but is projected mainly as a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Transferred to Bolles this summer after two years at Clay. In 2025, he made 32 tackles (seven for loss) with 1 1/2 sacks and a fumble recovery, and contributed 16 pancake blocks on offense. His early offers include Liberty and Wake Forest.

LB Jaison Brown, Yulee

Height/weight: 6-1, 215

Why he's here: The Hornets' athletic linebacker was here, there and everywhere as a sophomore. He finished 2025 with 95 tackles, 10 for loss, two fumble recoveries and 3 1/2 sacks. East Carolina is among his early listed offers.

QB Cy Cubbedge, Bradford

Height/weight: 6-2, 180

Why he's here: An athletic, left-handed quarterback who reached regionals with the Tornadoes in his first year as starter. Cubbedge completed 138 of 262 passes for 1,832 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he ran for 142 yards and two scores. Florida International is among his early offers.

QB Terel Dallas Jr., Trinity Christian

Height/weight: 6-1, 195

Why he's here: It's a big season for Dallas behind center for the Class 1A contenders. Last year, he completed 86 of 166 (51.8 percent) of passes for 1,153 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, and he also rushed for 430 yards and six more scores. Rivals rates the dual-threat Dallas as a three-star prospect. His early offers include Jacksonville State.

RB Xander Edwards, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-1, 210

Why he's here: A four-star recruit and a USA TODAY All-Southeast preseason selection, Edwards led Florida in rushing yards (2,629) and touchdowns (44) to win All-First Coast offensive player of the year as a sophomore. First sophomore to win that award since Yulee's Derrick Henry in 2010. Rated as a top-10 running back nationally in the 2028 class, he has more than three dozen offers including Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Father, Marc Edwards, played fullback at Notre Dame and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots during a nine-year NFL career.

ATH Jaxon Flowers, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-2, 180

Why he's here: A converted quarterback who only switched to defensive back full-time after spring, he has impressed scouts since the move and now stands as a four-star prospect in the Rivals industry rating. As a QB, he passed for 139 yards and rushed for 86 in limited action in 2025. Also plays baseball, batting .259 with 22 stolen bases and errorless fielding this spring. Early listed offers include Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Miami.

DE Asher Ghioto, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-5, 240

Why he's here: He's a five-star recruit, rated as a top-three prospect nationwide in the 2028 class for USA TODAY. A mauling pass rusher with the strength to haul down opposing ball carriers one-handed, Ghioto had 23 sacks as a sophomore and 56 tackles for loss in his first two years for the Class 2A runners-up. He has more than 50 listed offers, including Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M. First-team USA TODAY preseason All-American.

DB Zion Green, Raines

Height/weight: 6-4, 170

Why he's here: Tall, sure-handed and dangerous on both sides of the ball. Green is rated as a four-star prospect and a top-15 safety nationwide for 247Sports, and a three-star for ESPN and Rivals. In 2025, he caught 12 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns in a loaded wide receiver department, although he is more often projected at defensive back for college. He has more than 20 listed offers, including Auburn, Florida State and LSU.

DB Za'khari Greene, Trinity Christian

Height/weight: 6-2, 160

Why he's here: The Conquerors have produced countless stars in the secondary, and Greene looks like the latest. Currently a three-star prospect for ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals, Greene has more than a dozen listed offers, including Auburn, Florida State, Penn State and South Carolina. He shows a keen instinct for attacking the football, with four interceptions and seven pass defenses as well as 20 tackles as a sophomore.

OT James Holder, Bishop Kenny

Height/weight: 6-4, 310

Why he's here: The massive offensive tackle worked his way into the Crusader lineup as a freshman and helped clear the path for 2,415 yards on the ground, many of those from Super 11 running back Caleb Mattison, in 2025. Early offers include Georgia Tech, South Florida and Wake Forest.

OT Omari Lawson, Zarephath Academy

Height/weight: 6-6, 265

Why he's here: Lawson already committed to Syracuse during October of his sophomore year and is getting recognition as a big-time blocker for independent Zarephath. Other offers include the likes of Georgia, LSU and Penn State. He's a four-star prospect and a top-20 lineman nationwide for ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports.

RB Rontrez Loyd, White

Height/weight: 6-0, 215

Why he's here: Loyd is a hard-running, driving back who excels in short yardage. He ran 108 times for 720 yards and 12 touchdowns, coming off a 652-yard and seven-touchdown freshman campaign. A key part of the Commanders' 537-yard offense a year ago. His early offers include Arkansas, Pitt and Wake Forest.

DT Christian McGowan, Mandarin

Height/weight: 6-4, 265

Why he's here: The latest of many promising defensive linemen on Greenland Road. McGowan's early offers include Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina and Syracuse. He could play either inside or outside. Last year, in part-time action on the Mandarin line rotation, he had 19 tackles with 1 1/2 sacks. He recorded 25 tackles as a freshman at Paxon.

WR King Mercer, White

Height/weight: 5-10, 160

Why he's here: Mercer emerged as one of Jacksonville's breakout offensive players in 2025. He caught 37 passes for 835 yards (22.6 per reception) and seven touchdowns, and added 601 return yards to finish with 1,481 all-purpose yards. Early offers include Pitt, Temple and Wake Forest.

DE Mikel Morgan, Columbia

Height/weight: 6-4, 215

Why he's here: Among Northeast Florida's fastest-rising prospects during the spring. A three-star prospect and a top-60 edge rusher for 247Sports, Morgan has picked up more than 10 offers since the start of spring, including Auburn, Florida State and Miami. As a sophomore, he recorded 18 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery. Also played basketball as a freshman.

OL John O'Dwyer, Nease

Height/weight: 6-4, 285

Why he's here: A tackle for the repeat regional qualifier Panthers, he's often projected as an interior lineman at the next level. For 247Sports, he's a three-star prospect and a top-25 interior lineman. O'Dwyer has more than 15 listed offers, including Florida and Florida State.

QB Aiden Phifer, Nease

Height/weight: 6-0, 190

Why he's here: Phifer has a Big Ten football future lined up, committing to Northwestern in June. He's rated as a three-star recruit for 247Sports and Rivals, and has played basketball for Nease as well. In his first varsity season as starter, he completed 146 of 244 passes for 2,003 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also showed scrambling ability, for 229 yards and nine touchdowns. His cousin, tight end Chase Phifer, is committed to Boston College.

S Sidney Smith IV, White

Height/weight: 6-0, 170

Why he's here: A fast-rising recruit during the spring, receiving more than 10 offers. Smith finished his sophomore season with 28 tackles, two pass defenses and two forced fumbles. Transferred in the off-season from Riverside. Early listed offers include Florida State, Pitt and Wake Forest.

DL Kayden Thompson, West Nassau

Height/weight: 6-4, 285

Why he's here: Athletic D-lineman with the flexibility to play inside or outside. Syracuse is an early power-conference offer. Thompson made an instant impact as a freshman with 38 tackles (13 for loss), and followed as a sophomore with 46 tackles and 16 behind the line.

QB Luke Toland, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-2, 195

Why he's here: Next in line for the Bulldogs' championship chase. Toland played part-time in 2025 behind Jaden Weatherly, completing 36 of 50 passes (72 percent) with 482 yards and five touchdowns. Early offers include Iowa State, Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.

TE J.C. Wessel, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-6, 240

Why he's here: The four-star tight end, newly arrived in the summer from Frederica Academy in Georgia, is rated as a top-10 tight end nationwide. More than two dozen offers, including Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee. Wessel's size makes him an obvious matchup nightmare for high school defenses. He caught 18 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. Also played basketball in the winter, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

DB Brandon Whitfield Jr., St. Augustine

Height/weight: 5-11, 190

Why he's here: A throwback-type defensive back who dishes out punishing hits far bigger than his listed size. He made 63 tackles in 2025, six behind the line, with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 1 1/2 sacks. His early offers include Temple.

ATH TJ Williamson, Raines

Height/weight: 5-9, 175

Why he's here: Williamson's high school career first at Yulee and then at Bolles has hit injury obstacles, including a freshman-year leg fracture. Now back to full speed, he's a dangerous multi-purpose athlete. Rushed for 100 yards in his Raines debut, the Aug. 14 kickoff classic, and has previously played defensive back. As a freshman at Yulee, he gained 184 yards rushing and 86 receiving in three games. Listed offers include Florida State, South Carolina and UCF.

WR Brysen Wright, Mandarin

Height/weight: 6-3 1/2, 215

Why he's here: A five-star recruit, Wright is the nation's No. 1 class of 2028 prospect for USA TODAY. More than 30 offers, including Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Texas and more. A tall receiver who makes highlight catches in traffic and runs with the elusiveness to turn small plays into big ones. He caught 46 passes for 983 yards and 10 TD in 2025, as well as five touchdowns on returns. Wright also intercepted five passes and made 63 tackles at free safety as a sophomore. Named NFL Flag male player of the year. Second-team USA TODAY preseason All-American.

OL William Zebroski, Bolles

Height/weight: 6-4, 295

Why he's here: Zebroski worked his way into some solid playing time on a senior-heavy offensive front in 2025 and looks to be an anchor of the unit this year. Most often projected as a guard or center in college. Early offers include Georgia Southern and Western Kentucky.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Northeast Florida football's junior class is electrifying. Meet 28 for 28

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