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To the next step: Gainesville area athletes who have inked so far on National Signing Day

Note: This list will be updated throughout the day as more names come in. If there are any Gainesville area players continuing their playing career at the next level who is missing from this list, please send their name, position and what school they’ll be attending to nram@gannett.com.

The immediate taste of success and/or disappointment has long exited the psyche of high school football seniors.

In the two months since football seasons officially ended, Gainesville area players sifted through offers from colleges all over the nation before deciding where to spend formative years of their lives.

Now, the day is finally here to put pen-to-paper.

From Starke to Newberry and multiple places in between, players will celebrate with friends, family and coaches as they prepare to embark on the next chapter in their lives.

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Here is each Gainesville area football player who will be signing in the coming weeks and where they'll be heading. In addition, the bottom lists the players who signed on December 20 for National Early Signing Day:

Bradford

Bradford Chalil Cummings (2) tries to shake off Lecanto Nathan Vonderhaar (15) as Bradford takes on Lecanto at Bradford High School in Starke, FL on Friday, October 20, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
Bradford Chalil Cummings (2) tries to shake off Lecanto Nathan Vonderhaar (15) as Bradford takes on Lecanto at Bradford High School in Starke, FL on Friday, October 20, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]

Chailil Cummings – University of Memphis

Dae’Jon Shanks – Hutchinson Junior College (Hutchinson, Kansas)

Willie Pollard – St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens)

Torin Brazell – East Carolina University

Devon McBride – Marshall University

Branford

Colby Carter, Austin Malaugti – Warner University

Buchholz

Buchholz Bobcats Jordan Richardson (1) runs with the ball during the first half between Buchholz High School and Ponte Vedra High School at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Friday, November 17, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]
Buchholz Bobcats Jordan Richardson (1) runs with the ball during the first half between Buchholz High School and Ponte Vedra High School at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Friday, November 17, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]

Jordan Richardson – Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Wesson, Mississippi)

Dylan Lloyd – Florida Atlantic University

Columbia

Columbia High School Kani Fulton (1) takes down Buchholz High School running back Quinton Cutler (10). The Buchholz Bobcats hosted the Columbia Tigers at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The two teams had to reschedule the game after lightning and an incident that occurred at Columbia High School Friday night. They were able to complete one quarter with Buchholz leading 14-0 after the delay Friday night. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]

Kani Fulton – Tusculum University (Tusculum, Tennessee)

Wilson Philemon – Madonna

D'Mari Bruce – Chowan

Jalin Carter – Jacksonville AA Community Christian

Markeyon Moore – St. Thomas

Eastside

Eastside Rams running back Joshua Benjamin (8) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Gainesville Hurricanes at Citizens Field on Friday. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Eastside Rams running back Joshua Benjamin (8) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Gainesville Hurricanes at Citizens Field on Friday. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Chris Bishop – St. Thomas

Joshua Benjamin – Johnson C. Smith College (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Fort White

Dakota Fisher – Charleston Southern University

Gainesville

Gainesville Hurricanes quarterback Kane Smith (1) throws the ball during the first half against the Buchholz Bobcats at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, October 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Gainesville Hurricanes quarterback Kane Smith (1) throws the ball during the first half against the Buchholz Bobcats at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, October 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Kane Smith – Husson University (Bangor, Maine)

AJ White, Jaden Brown, D’Ovyon Murphy – Jacksonville A.A. Christian

Edson Maldonado – Culver-Stockton College (Canton, Missouri)

Datron Jackson – Andrew College (Cuthbert, Georgia)

Derrick Ford – St Thomas

Hawthorne

Hawthorne Hornets Andrew Zock (0) celebrates as the Hornets rolled over the Tigers. The Hawthorne Hornets hosted the Blountstown Tigers at Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne, FL on Thursday, November 30, 2023 in the Class 1R State Semis Football. The Hornets defeated the Tigers 49-0 and advance to the State Championship game next Thursday in Tallahassee. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

Andrew Zock – United States Naval Academy

Matthew McKinley-Daniels – University of Delaware

Que Kennedy, Jordin Fluellen – UNC Pembroke

Earick Williams – Jackson State

Demetri Perry – Fayetteville State

Caleb Rollerson – Central Florida

Jamarion Davenport – Andrew College

Lafayette

Jalen Hill – Missouri S&T

Newberry

Newberry Panthers wide receiver David Schmidt (6) catches a kickoff during the first half against the Hawthorne Hornets during the first half at Newberry High School in Newberry, FL on Friday, September 1, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Newberry Panthers wide receiver David Schmidt (6) catches a kickoff during the first half against the Hawthorne Hornets during the first half at Newberry High School in Newberry, FL on Friday, September 1, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

David Schmidt – University of Florida (Preferred Walk-On)

Oak Hall

Oak Hall running back Abram Jerkins (2) runs the ball in for a touchdown against Bishop Snyder High School in Gainesville, FL on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Oak Hall running back Abram Jerkins (2) runs the ball in for a touchdown against Bishop Snyder High School in Gainesville, FL on Friday, September 2, 2022.

Christopher Davis Jr. – Livingstone College (Salisbury, North Carolina)

Abram Jerkins – Andrew College

Union County

Jacob Jenkins – North Carolina A&T (Greensboro)

Deonte Jones – St. Thomas

Williston

Williston Red Devils Shamon Coleman (10) looks to throw during the first half between Williston High School and Hawthorne High School at Williston High School in Williston, FL on Friday, November 24, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]
Williston Red Devils Shamon Coleman (10) looks to throw during the first half between Williston High School and Hawthorne High School at Williston High School in Williston, FL on Friday, November 24, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]

Carter Benton, Wyatt Woodford – St. Thomas

Javon Brown – Toledo University

Shooby Coleman – UNC Pembroke

Who inked on Early Signing Day?

Bradford

With is mom Samantha Clark, left, and dad Jimmie Clark III right, Bradford High School senior Chason Clark waits for the program to begin so he can sign his letter of intent to play football at Marshall University during a program at Bradford High School in Starke, FL on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. Clark, 6’3 and 210 pounds, was a Middle Linebacker and Tight End on this this years team and went to the state championship. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]

Chason Clark – Marshall

Buchholz

Myles Graham gestures to the audiance after sigining a letter of intent with the University of Florida at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]
Myles Graham gestures to the audiance after sigining a letter of intent with the University of Florida at Buchholz High School in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]

Myles Graham – Florida

Kendall Jackson – Texas A&M

Columbia

Jerome Carter address the audience along with Camdon Frier during a signing ceremony at Columbia High School in Lake City, FL on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]
Jerome Carter address the audience along with Camdon Frier during a signing ceremony at Columbia High School in Lake City, FL on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. [Chris Watkins/Gainesville Sun]

Camdon Frier – Florida State

Jerome Carter – Old Dominion

Hawthorne

Alvon Isaac signs his letter of intent to play football University of South Florida at Hawthorne Middle/High School in Hawthorne, FL on Thursday, December 21, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
Alvon Isaac signs his letter of intent to play football University of South Florida at Hawthorne Middle/High School in Hawthorne, FL on Thursday, December 21, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]

Alvon Isaac – South Florida

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville area HS football players signing on National Signing Day 2024