50 questions entering 2024 Florida high school football season in Jacksonville area

The first day of preseason practice. It's here.

From the five-star recruits to the coaches to the referees, everyone is counting down to the start of Florida high school football.

With the 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association season almost ready for kickoff, here's a look ahead to 50 of the big questions awaiting teams, players and coaches across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. The regular season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 23, and continues until the FHSAA championships in December.

How is the new year going to unfold? The answers to these questions will become clearer in the next five months.

1. After two consecutive years without a Northeast Florida state champion under the now-extinct Metro-Suburban system, will the new format prove more favorable for the Jacksonville area?

2. Will any Florida athletes, schools or other entities run afoul of the FHSAA's new NIL regulations this year — and if so, what happens next?

3. How quickly will Mandarin's newly-arrived defensive backs — including three new starters with major college offers — find a rhythm around senior safety Drake Stubbs?

4. Just how high on Jacksonville's all-time passing list will Mandarin's Tramell Jones Jr. end up by season's end?

5. Of Jacksonville's brand-new 11-man programs (Cornerstone Classical, KIPP Bold City and Old Plank Christian), which one will earn the most wins in 2024?

6. Can St. Augustine overcome the graduations of running back Devonte Lyons, receiver Myles Simmons and several defensive stars to return to the state final ?

7. How will Fernandina Beach and West Nassau fare as Northeast Florida's first non-magnet public school football programs to exit FHSAA districts for the Sunshine State Athletic Association?

8. If year one in SSAA football proves favorable for the Nassau County pair, could any other local schools join them in the coming years?

9. Can Bradford's defense, much changed but returning standouts like Duke Lewis, Jeremiah McKenzie and Branden Williams, hold its opponents under 100 total points for a third consecutive year under coach Jamie Rodgers ?

10. How many Northeast Florida receivers in 2024 will break the 1,000-yard mark?

11. How will 2018 state champion Bobby Ramsay's return to Duval County public school coaching unfold with a Jackson team in the midst of transition?

12. Playing an entire season away from home turf with its school buildings still under construction , can Ribault adjust to life on the road to make a postseason return?

13. After going 9-1 as an independent in 2023, how quickly will Beachside's high-scoring passing offense adapt to the rigors of district play and a more challenging schedule?

14. Amid continuing concerns about pay from organizations like the Florida Coaches Coalition , will this year include any concrete steps toward increasing cash for Northeast Florida coaches?

15. If the answer is yes, where will the money come from?

16. If the answer is no, how many current area head coaches or assistant coaches will be taking their skills to schools in Georgia or other states one year from now?

17. How many teams in Florida can compare to Bolles' weaponry at the ball-handling positions, including two 1,000-yard rushers (Emmett Grzebin and Ty Neal) and multiple major recruits ( Naeem Burroughs , Chase Collier and Corbyn Fordham) to catch the ball?

18. With quarterback Mason Williams leading a solid core of seniors, is this the year that Providence makes a regional football breakthrough to accompany its long history of baseball and basketball success?

19. Can University Christian wide receiver Jenoa Alford, who missed much of last fall due to injury, help spark a UC resurgence in Class 1A after the team's first sub-.500 season since 2006?

20. Which incoming freshman — a group that includes the likes of Asher Ghioto at Bolles, TJ Williamson at Yulee and Brysen Wright at Mandarin — will emerge as the area's premier early talent for the 2028 recruiting class?

21. On a revamped lineup that's added numerous transfers on both sides of the ball, is this the year that Raines makes a run into the final four?

22. How quickly will Bartram Trail's Jaden Weatherly continue developing as he works to follow the path of past Bears standout QBs like Kyle Parker, Nathan Peterman and Joey Gatewood?

23. Can rising junior QB Tommy Offord duplicate last year's 1,000 rushing-1,000 passing season for Palatka?

24. Just how high will the stat tally rise for Jordan Martin-Durham of independent Zarephath Academy? The QB is already above 5,000 career yards entering his senior year.

25. After turning a once-struggling program into a perennial playoff qualifier, will Creekside coach Sean McIntyre hoist a long-awaited District 1-7A trophy — and, if the Knights do, how deep can Sean Ashenfelder, Harrison Garrido and the offense power them in postseason?

26. Will Trinity Christian, loaded with top-tier talent for the past quarter century, develop another wave of future stars this year after massive graduation losses in the 2024 class?

27. After 68 catches for 1,348 yards as a junior, what will Charleston Southern-committed receiver Maddox Spencer do this year to conclude his Nease career?

28. Will Malakhi Lewis, at one time a Syracuse commit, inject fresh punch into a Parker ground game after his transfer from Baker County?

29. After ending last year as St. Johns County's only team below .500, can sophomore quarterback/javelin thrower Cash Downey lead Menendez into playoff contention this time?

30. Could the combination of reclassification and the continued development of young stars around senior QB Cibastian Broughton help Fleming Island improve substantially from last year's 3-7 mark?

31. Will any Gateway Conference defensive units be able to contain Riverside's pass-catching pair of Tae'shaun Gelsey and Myles Kendrick, committed to Florida and Indiana, respectively?

32. After winning three games last season, how far can Oakleaf progress with a new quarterback (First Academy transfer Jack McKissock) linking up with explosive wideouts like sophomore Mike Conner?

33. Can QB Ty Keister, who impressed as a freshman and helped Englewood to a 6-4 campaign, lead the Rams to their first FHSAA regional visit since the Rashean Mathis-led team of 1998?

34. With Colin Butler, Rocco Garcia, Brody McLeod, Robbie Grieco and newcomer Martin Geary all among the standouts in the trenches, could Ponte Vedra hoist a district trophy for the first time since 2019?

35. Packed into a particularly tough District 3-6A (Bartram Trail, Gainesville Buchholz and Nease), can passing-game targets Julio Santiago and Zander Erasmus help Tocoi Creek charge its way into playoff contention?

36. Will more football fans around Northeast Florida learn about the multifaceted sensation that is Union County's Trenton Klein: 1,350 yards passing, 500 yards rushing, 85 tackles (25 for loss) and seven sacks on defense and even a .310 batting average in baseball?

37. On an offense that must replace its leading passer, rusher and receiver, can Fletcher not only extend its streak of winning five or more games in every season since 2007, but mount a deeper playoff run in a district that includes First Coast, Oakleaf and finalist Mandarin?

38. While the Joshua Patterson-led secondary is already a known force, could a young passing game with sophomore quarterback King Boylston and junior receiver Nick Roberson carry White deeper into the postseason than in 2023?

39. After years of steady improvement in Middleburg, will the Broncos make a bigger jump this year with a defense built around Iowa State-committed tackle B.J. Carter?

40. As rising junior Gabe Taylor continues to develop at quarterback following his 1,651-yard season, can Orange Park surprise some people in a tough district?

41. Can two-sport quarterback Merrick Rapoza, also a slugger on the baseball diamond, lift Clay closer to the postseason after back-to-back losing seasons?

42. Coming off back-to-back playoff visits, how will First Coast fare in its offensive transition after the graduation of Western Kentucky-signed quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. as well as numerous receivers?

43. Following several transfer departures on the offensive side of the ball, will Columbia's defense be ready to carry more of the load entering a District 4-4A where St. Augustine — not the Tigers — will enter as favorite?

44. Step up with Step: Will Atlantic Coast (from 0-10 to 5-5 last year) continue their improvement under former Super 11 head coach Step Durham, particularly now that promising sophomore athlete Cory Matthews has arrived from Sandalwood?

45. Will 2024 be yet another 100-tackle season for Baker County's Florida Atlantic-committed linebacker Seth Chestnut in a District 2-3A that's going to include some lengthy road trips?

46. Can versatile athletes like Kelvin Brown and Christian Velvet, both sophomores, extend Baldwin's regional playoff streak to a school-record seven years?

47. Will the proliferation of three-team districts — there are several in Northeast Florida this year, like Atlantic Coast-Creekside-Sandalwood in District 1-7A — spur the FHSAA to revise its reclassification criteria yet again for 2026-27?

48. Can Yulee continue building on a strong 9-3 season in 2023 to punch a third consecutive playoff ticket?

49. How many Jacksonville-area seniors will end up signing with Football Bowl Subdivision programs in what appears to be the First Coast's strongest recruiting class in years?

50. And this one's for you. Yes, you. Are you ready for some football?

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 50 questions entering 2024 Florida high school football season in Jacksonville area