With the deep football talent in Sarasota and Manatee counties, The Big 15 alone doesn’t showcase the area’s top prospects.
So, we’ve continued our series with The Next 15, which are 15 football players who were in consideration for The Big 15, the Herald-Tribune’s list of Sarasota and Manatee counties top college football prospects. The requirements for this list are the same as The Big 15 when it comes to projectability and ability to play at a high level on Saturdays.
Here are The Next 15 listed in alphabetical order heading into the 2026 high school football season.
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Sirdarrean Allen
School: Palmetto
Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 185
Breakdown: Entering his junior season, Allen has five offers from Louisville, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, East Carolina and UConn. He transferred to Palmetto in July after playing at Manatee last season.
Jordan Booker
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Cornerback
Measurables: 5-foot-10, 155
Breakdown: Booker is a three-star Georgia State commit with 12 offers, including from programs like Wake Forest, Appalachian State, FIU and Bowling Green. In 2025, Booker had 40 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions, one pass breakup and one forced fumble. On special teams, he added a punt returned for a touchdown. In July, the cornerback transferred to Venice, following a mass exodus from Booker High after Carlos Woods was dismissed following one season.
Elijah Christian
School: Manatee
Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 195
Breakdown: Ahead of his junior season, Christian has 11 offers to Tulane, Memphis, FAU, Toledo and Alabama State. During his sophomore campaign, Christian recorded 312 yards and two touchdowns on 20 receptions.
Deno Dalacas
School: Manatee
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot, 180
Breakdown: In April, Dalacas transferred to Manatee from Hamilton High School in Arizona. But the senior wide receiver is familiar with Florida, playing his first two high school seasons at IMG Academy. During his junior campaign, Dalacas recorded 855 yards and 12 touchdowns on 40 receptions. He ended the year with 1,105 all-purpose yards. Entering his senior season, Dalacas has 17 offers, including from Tulane, UConn, East Carolina, Liberty, UPenn and Cornell.
Ira Dale Jr.
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Measurables: 5-foot-9.5, 200
Breakdown: Dale is three-star senior running back, ranked as the 153rd best prospect in Florida. The East Carolina commit has 10 offers, including from Memphis, Jacksonville State and Liberty. In 2025, Dale had 342 yards and six touchdowns on 37 carries. He also had 10 tackles on defense.
Jok Harris
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 185
Breakdown: Harris is a three-star receiver from Palmetto, ranked as the 147th best prospect in Florida. In 2025, he played on offense, defense and special teams. He recorded 841 yards and 10 touchdowns on 50 passes, adding seven tackles, one forced fumble and a sack on defense. He also had two kickoffs returned for a touchdowns. Of his 12 offers, Harris committed to Appalachian State in April, choosing the Mountaineers over East Carolina, Memphis, FIU, Liberty and Jacksonville State.
Jayvian Hoffmann
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver, free safety
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 170
Breakdown: After playing last season at Booker, Hoffmann transferred to Venice in the offseason. He will face the challenge of being Venice’s second receiving option as schools work to stop star wideout Tyree Mannings Jr. Hoffmann is receiving attention from Kansas State and other programs.
Evan Larrick
School: Sarasota
Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Breakdown: Despite missing three games due to injury, Larrick had 504 yards and three touchdowns on 33 receptions, averaging 56 yards per game. Entering his junior season, Larrick has eight offers, including from Arizona, Cal, Sacramento State and Toledo.
Ace Luther
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Tight end
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 215
Breakdown: Entering his senior season, the Bowling Green commit has 12 offers, including from Memphis, Eastern Michigan, Alabama State and North Alabama.
Jamari Moore
School: Manatee
Year: Sophomore
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot, 175
Breakdown: Ahead of his sophomore season, Moore has one Power 4 offer to UConn.
Noah Patton
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Position: Quarterback
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 190
Breakdown: Patton is a three-star quarterback, according to On3 with seven offers, including Arizona State, Minnesota, Kentucky and Arkansas. After transferring from IMG Academy, the junior will likely be the signal caller for Venice, hoping to put the Indians back in a state title game.
James Reynolds
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Punter
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 235
Breakdown: Reynolds is a UCF commit, listed as the No. 3 best punter nationally, according to Kohl’s Kicking. He averaged 42.1 yards per punt while also recording 60 kickoffs and 47 touchbacks.
Jayden Rivers
School: Sarasota
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver, defensive back
Measurables: 5-foot-10, 178
Breakdown: During his junior year, Rivers had 1,052 yards and 16 touchdowns on 66 receptions, adding two rushing touchdowns. Entering his senior year, Rivers has offers to Alabama State and the University of Fort Lauderdale.
Jared Sanders
School: Cardinal Mooney
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive back
Measurables: 5-foot-10, 175
Breakdown: Entering his junior season, Sanders has two offers from UConn and UNC Pembroke. At Manatee, he led the Hurricanes with five interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He added 37 tackles and four tackles for loss during his sophomore campaign.
Kymani Sellers
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 210
During his junior season at Booker, Sellers recorded 32 total tackles, 25 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, 23 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. Ahead of his senior season, which he’ll play at Palmetto, Sellers has three offers, including North Carolina, Shorter and Wofford.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: The Next 15: Sarasota, Manatee college football recruits ranked No. 16-30
Reporting by Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
