Alachua County football transfers share their experiences, opinions and advice

Much like collegiate sports, transfer culture has made its way to the high school level. In the state of Florida, student-athletes are constantly moving to new schools for various reasons.

The results and opinions vary. Many believe that lax transfer rules make it easy for big public schools to poach from small schools. Others believe that it gives athletes opportunities to better themselves by going to schools where they can succeed.

This project will take a look at four players in Alachua County who experienced transferring in their high school careers. Although they experienced the same thing, each had a different reason and different stories to tell as a result of their moves.

One left his school for a higher level of competition but kept a strong bond with his previous head coach, something that seems rare in this day and age. Another credited his faith for why he moved to a school out of his home county, and it paid off with a career year. The third felt the urge to move back to his hometown and will now play at an SEC school, and the fourth reunited with a childhood friend after feeling unsure of his role at his previous school.

Background

According to their website, the FHSAA has two main bylaws that establish the eligibility of a transfer athlete - one before participation and the other after.

FHSAA rules state that an athlete who hasn’t participated on or after the season start date may immediately join the team if there are open spots on the roster and the coach believes the player possesses the skill and ability to contribute to their team.

“A transfer student who has not participated in school-sponsored activities on or after the official start date of that sport season may seek to immediately join a team, provided the roster has not reached the identified maximum size and the coach determines that the student has the requisite skill and ability to participate,” the rule states.

As for transfer athletes who move schools and join a team after the start date after participation, they have to meet certain criteria. For example, the FHSAA allows transfers to participate if they are dependent children of active military members who moved as a result of the service, foster care moves and court-ordered custody changes.

Per the FHSAA website:

“A transfer student who has participated in school-sponsored activities on or after the official start date may participate, provided he/she qualifies under one of the following criteria:

• Dependent children of active duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders.

• Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone.

• Children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent.

• Authorized for good cause in district, private or charter board policy.

The FHSAA does not establish the ‘Good Cause’ policy. Please contact your school’s governing board to inquire about their individual ‘Good Cause’ policy.”

Despite the clear, although brief rules regarding transfers, proving that there were recruiting violations in an athlete’s transfer as a whole is a near-impossible battle in itself. Even if a potential violation is reported, an athlete is still allowed to participate until the violation is proven.

“A student’s eligibility to participate in any interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity may not be affected by any alleged recruiting violation until final disposition of the allegation pursuant to § 1006.20(2)(b), F.S..,” FHSAA rules state.

After initial correspondence, he FHSAA did not return contact with answers regarding transfer rules, investigations or statistics at the time of this writing.

Case No. 1: Jaren Hamilton

Jaren Hamilton catches a pass during a spring practice at Alabama (Photo courtesy of Alabama Athletics Photography)

It had been since 1987 that Alachua County had a football recruit attend the University of Alabama on a scholarship offer. That was until Jaren Hamilton, a four-star wide receiver in the class of 2023, inked his name on a letter of intent in December of 2022 to play for the Crimson Tide.

However, his journey to being one of the only Alachua County players to play for Alabama began far before his 900-yard, 16-touchdown senior season at Buchholz High School.

Hamilton originally began his high school career at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School in Gainesville, Florida. After playing sparingly his first two seasons, Hamilton debated transferring to another Alachua County school, but he decided to stay after reuniting with a former middle school coach.

P.K. Yonge was in the midst of a coaching change, and the Blue Wave landed on Kevin Doelling, a University of Florida graduate who previously coached at the school in various capacities. Doelling admitted that when he returned to the school, it didn’t seem like Hamilton was in love with football, but Doelling could tell he had the talent to play at the next level.

“We had a sit-down spring of his sophomore year, and I told him he has the potential if he decides to continue up with his work ethic. He had the potential to be an early enrollee,” Doelling recalled. “He really looked at me dumbfounded when I said it. He still talks about how he thinks I was joking with him when I said it. But I told him he’s got the skill set. He’s got every tool that you can imagine. He just needs to fine-tune them.”

Despite the success with the Blue Wave and division-one offers within reach, Hamilton wasn’t entirely satisfied. Feeling the need to play tougher competition on a daily basis, Hamilton made the decision to transfer to nearby F.W. Buchholz High School.

“It wasn’t about, I know some people thought it was about offers or whatever. When really, for me, it was really about my overall development. Not that I didn’t get developed that P.K., but at Buchholz, I was going to experience more competition, more push,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton’s presence was felt almost immediately for the Bobcats as they took an 10-2 record all the way to the FHSAA Class 4S State Semifinal, where they lost 42-35 to Venice. Hamilton accounted for 985 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior and was named to Mainstreet Daily News’ and the Gainesville Sun’s Big School All-Area teams.

Looking back on his transfer experience, Hamilton knows that it was the right decision for him. That being said, he urges any student-athlete considering a transfer to weigh the pros and cons and seriously consider every outcome before making a decision.

“Don’t just leave because, ok, you’re a freshman and the coach’s yelling. It’s gotta be something for real. You have to have a real purpose, and with that purpose, you have to work with it,” he said. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, I want to leave and go here because I know I’ll start or whatever.’ It’s not just changing schools, it’s changing who you are. You can’t go to a different school and be the same player. You might as well just stayed at the school.”

As far as recruiting is concerned, Hamilton admitted it does happen in the state of Florida. Between camps and social media, it’s easy for coaches to contact athletes at other schools and express interest in them transferring.

“There were times coaches would hit me up trying to get me to come to their school,” he admitted. “A lot of that has to do with how accessible things are nowadays. You could text somebody on Twitter or see them at camp and talk to them on the side. But my feelings about it, I mean, I feel like recruiting is always going to happen at every level whether it’s Pop Warner, middle school or high school.”

That being said, he does believe that the current transfer system is beneficial for student-athletes. He did note that it does give school’s opportunities to build “super teams,” which may or may not be beneficial, but it does give a student-athlete who’s not being properly developed to move schools.

“It gives people the opportunity to branch out and find what’s right for them,” he explained. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing because even when people try to stack super teams, it is what it is.”

Hamilton is now in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as an early-enrollee with the Crimson Tide. The team just wrapped up spring practices.

Case No. 2 Kyree Edwards

Williston running back Kyree Edwards (Photo courtesy of CJ Gish, Mainstreet Daily News)

Entering the 2022 season, Gainesville High School was a football team on the rise. After four combined wins in 2019 and 2020, the Hurricanes broke out with an 8-3 finish in 2021 in which they won a district title.

One of the leaders on that squad was running back/linebacker Kyree Edwards, who rushed for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. However, his time with at the school wouldn’t last much longer.

After second-guessing whether he truly belonged at the school, Edwards made the decision to transfer from Gainesville to a program in the middle of a rebuild – Williston High School. A difficult decision, Edwards credited his faith for leading the way.

“God led me. He put it in my heart, and he basically guided me and told me and showed me that [Williston] is where I needed to be,” he said.

Edwards became the second Hurricane to join the Red Devils. His quarterback, Shamon “Shooby” Coleman had transferred before spring football began. In fact, Edwards said that this hadn’t swayed him, and he was originally at the point where he was going to stay at Gainesville.

“It was not planned,” Edwards said. “Actually, I was gonna stay at GHS if it was really up to me. I was debating on leaving or staying, and I was at the point where I was staying because I was hearing a lot of outside noise.”

However, he eventually felt led to transfer, and after a visit to Williston, he became a Red Devil.

“I went to Williston to check it out, and when I was done visiting, Williston was just on my mind heavily,” he said. “It was a God-led decision. It wasn’t my decision or a family-led decision.”

Joining a team that had gone 1-8 the previous was difficult as well, but after his experience at Gainesville, both the coaches at Williston and Edwards believed he could rub off on his new team, and it worked out.

In fact, to say the move worked out for the running back was an understatement. Edwards had a career-year with the Red Devils as he rushed for 1,718 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 131 yards per game. From week four through seven, Edwards rushed for 680 yards and 14 touchdowns. The team finished the year 10-1 with their lone loss in the playoff-opener to Wildwood.

Once again, he credits his faith as the main factor. He also explained that the team had finally started to bond in those weeks. He explained that one of the most difficult parts of the transfer was the team getting acclimated to each other.

“Throughout those weeks, I actually started going back to church and praying that something happened. I just prayed a hard prayer on my future and the next few games,” he said. “The [team] didn’t have any chemistry. We actually started bonding and coming together.”

Regarding the FHSAA, Edwards said there was no conflict and it was an easy process overall. However, he did expect that there would be accusations of recruitment despite it being a faith-based decision.

“I was shocked because I thought I would have some heat, but I didn’t have anything,” he said.

Looking back, Edwards believes the move worked for him. His advice after his transfer experience relates back to how he decided – talk to God.

“If you find a home and you’re not comfortable or you’re second guessing where you’re at, just go to God. That’s what I did,” he said. “My process is probably going to be different, but I will say, trust your heart. Don’t go off what anyone else wants you to do. You have to do what’s best for yourself.”

Additionally, the move to Williston opened up more collegiate opportunities for Edwards. After Coleman’s transfer from Gainesville, Edwards had actually become the team’s starting quarterback for the spring. Although that didn’t play into his transfer, he knows that his recruitment would be completely different.

“I know that I would have given [Gainesville] my all, but I don’t know how my statline would have been. So, me being at Williston and being able to just run the ball and do what I do best, it was very beneficial,” Edwards said. “I felt like God put me in the right spot and right position.”

Edwards is currently deciding his next move as he holds offers from Sewannee, Peru State, St. Thomas University and Erskine. He is also talking to Florida about a PWO.

Case No. 3: Ahman Covington

Bradford defensive back/linebacker Ahman Covington on a visit to Florida (Picture courtesy of Florida Gators Athletics)

Like his Gainesville High teammates, Ahman Covington’s transfer to Bradford came as a surprise considering he already racked up All-Area accolades and had a walk-on offer from Florida.

“The plan was we were all going to stay even after Shooby [Coleman] left. I told Kyree [Edwards], ‘I think it’s in my best interest to go back home,’” he said.

A big part of the decision came down to college recruitment. Covington said he felt the Gainesville coaches did not put enough emphasis on the players.

“I’m not speaking for anybody else, but to me, I felt like the players weren’t getting enough recognition,” he said. “I felt GHS was going down the wrong direction.”

He further explained that with roster turnover from the previous year and some colleges expressing interest, it was time to find a new home. However, this process would prove to be more difficult than anticipated. Before landing at Bradford, the goal was to stay in Alachua County.

Covington explained that he originally planned on enrolling at Buchholz, a school known for consistently sending student athletes to the next level. After putting in the paper work, he was denied admission. He explained he wasn’t given a clear reason, but he believes it had to do with overpopulation at the school.

He had also considered transferring to area schools such as Eastside High School and Hawthorne Middle/High School.

However, the opportunity to move back to his hometown of Starke, Florida proved too big to pass up. He could be the voice of the smalltown with tremendous crowd support and more college recruitment opportunities, he said. So, he moved in with his grandmother and enrolled at Bradford High School.

That process was much faster.

“It was fast. It literally happened in one day,” Covington said. “I came, moved in. I went up to the school, met the coaches, took my paperwork, GHS sent over my transcripts and I was working out that day.”

He reunited with former teammates from little league that he had kept in contact with.

“That was another reason why I transferred. We always kept in contact. Everyone on the team, we’re mainly cousins,” he said. “They welcomed me with open arms.”

That fall, Bradford would make it all the way to the FHSAA 2A State Semifinals, where they would fall to state champion Cocoa 31-21.

On the field, Covington’s production took a dip. After a 72-tackle, 13.0-tackle-for-loss season at Gainesville, he recorded 44 tackles and two tackles-for-loss with Bradford. However, he has no regrets regarding the move as he believes it set him up for success at the collegiate level.

“Florida was already looking at me. I had USF talking to me heavily. A couple other schools like Middle Tennessee State, the University of Delaware, but when I transferred to Bradford, everything was starting to come into place,” he said. “I had ended up with Florida, Vanderbilt, Delaware, Coastal Carolina.”

He added that right before signing day, he received offers from Albany State, Alabama State and Grambling State.

Additionally, Covington believes he improved as a football player at Bradford both mentally and physically.

“The coaches, they gave me that push. They knew I wanted it. That’s the main thing about Bradford just in general,” he said. “They just give you that push. They’re all about motivation.”

Unlike the previous two athletes, Covington did admit there was one thing he could have done differently. He explained he didn’t communicate well with his mother when he made his decision.

“At first, we had a rough time with it,” he said. “She supported me from the start, but being that I made that decision by myself. I didn’t really communicate. I think that’s what hurt her feelings. Me and my mother, we’re so close we usually communicate about things, and this was a decision I felt I was old enough to make.”

Building off of that, Covington’s advice for a student-athlete considering a transfer would be to do what he didn’t – communicate with your parents.

“Get a good understanding of everything you’re doing,” he said. “That’s the main thing. Communication is key. I would say I didn’t do it the right way, but I still don’t regret it. Communicate with your parents. If they feel good about it, then that’s when everything will come into play.”

Covington also offered his take on illegal recruiting and the FHSAA, and the take doesn’t seem like one that comes from a transfer athlete. In fact, he said he didn’t even know the FHSAA sometimes contacts transfer athletes. However, he does believe that transfer culture needs to be put in check.

Specifically, school boards should have more say and have the ability to crack down on illegal recruiting, he said.

“It’s out of control,” Covington said. “You have kids that’s not even close to that school, they find a way. I think that’s a major problem in today’s high school transfer. It’s not as strict as it needs to be.”

After graduation, Covington will enroll at the University of Florida in May as a PWO, where he’ll be on the Gator defense led by first-year defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong.

Case No. 4: David Schmidt

Newberry wide receiver David Schmidt (Photo by Shot By Coach)

Unlike the previous three cases, David Schmidt’s provides a trio of twists that set him apart. To start, he transferred from Buchholz to Newberry prior to the start of his junior season. Additionally, he is the only one who did not have a lot of on-field experience prior to his transfer. Finally, he was the only one who admitted to being interviewed by the FHSAA regarding his transfer.

Schmidt had spent the first two years of high school as a reserve receiver for the Bobcats as he sat behind a plethora of division one talent. As his junior year approached, it was clear to him that he could be a solid contributor. He broke out in the team’s spring game with four catches for 85 yards and a touchdown in only one half of play.

However, as the team welcomed in P.K. Yonge transfer Jaren Hamilton, a four-star with plenty of offers, and the team returned receiver Ja’Carree Kelly, who was also being looked at by division one schools, Schmidt realized that it would be likely that he would spend his junior season like his previous two – a secondary option.

“My junior year, I wanted to be able to get these offers and these looks, which I have right now,” he said. “Looking at that and then looking for other options for what was going to be the best route for me, that was a big part in this.”

It wasn’t an easy decision for Schmidt. After deep conversation with then-Buchholz head coach Mark Whittemore in which the former UCF Knight and father of three division one receivers gave advice, Schmidt left the comfort of Buchholz for a new challenge at a smaller school. It wasn’t without backlash, though.

“When I left, I did get a lot of backlash. ‘You’re scared of competition,’ and all that stuff,” he said. “That was something that really fueled me. Showing people that I’m not scared of competition. I just wanted the best route for me, and it turned out to be the best route.”

That route led him to Newberry High School, where he reunited with childhood friend Keil McGriff, a quarterback who had himself just transferred to the school and whose father, Travis, would be the school’s new offensive coordinator.

Schmidt broke out with the Panthers with career-highs in receptions (46), yards (960) and total touchdowns (10). He accounted for 1,150 total yards. However, his success took time to come to fruition.

His transfer was also a tough process, he said. He explained that after getting approval from the Newberry principal and Newberry head coach, both required by the FHSAA, they had to file paperwork through the Alachua County School Board.

“It took like three weeks to really get an answer,” he said.

Additionally, he explained that the FHSAA reached out to him for insight about his decision. Buchholz, a county powerhouse where athletes tend to transfer to, had a few athletes transfer out, and Schmidt was one of the first to depart.

Newberry wide receiver David Schmidt wins

Mainstreet Daily News' Sonic Drive-In Player of the Game

after a 200-yard, four-touchdown performance against

P.K. Yonge (Photo by Cam Parker)

“We did get a call from [the FHSAA],” he said. “Just about, ‘Was this a recruiting thing, or was this solely your choice?’ And it really was solely my choice. I really wanted the best opportunity for me, and me and my family felt that Newberry was that. There wasn’t any recruiting in it.”

However, like Hamilton, he did explain that illegal recruiting is nothing new, and he had teams reach out to him previously.

“A couple of schools did contact me. It wasn’t through technology or anything like that,” Schmidt said. “It was about some guys talking to me and asking, ‘Hey, man, you’re coming to our school,’ and all that stuff. To be honest, I didn’t have that big interest in them.”

As he prepares for his senior season, he has no regrets on the move, but does have advice to share for any student-athlete considering a transfer based on his experience.

“I met with my dad and one of his friends who’s sort of a life coach. We put three whiteboards next to each other. On one, we put my projected stats if I stayed at Buchholz (20 catches, 500 yards and four touchdowns). We did that for junior and senior year. Then, we put it for Newberry (38 catches, 900 yards and nine touchdowns),” he explained. “There’s no doubt I would’ve found success at Buchholz, but the way I wanted to succeed was getting the best film I can and get my name out there.”

Schmidt is currently still at Newberry and is preparing for his senior season, where he wants to break Newberry’s receiving record in a game (between 210-230 yards, he estimated) and season (1,200 yards, he estimated).

He is currently being recruited from various schools including Florida, Miami and UCF.