Vote: Who was Florida’s top freshman football player of 2023?

The 2023 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months.

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where freshman that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top freshman football player of 2023?

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the freshmen that won going head-to-head.

We’ve selected 10 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

Voting will end on January 13th, 2024.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.

Here are the nominees:

Zachary Katz, QB, True North Classical: The True North freshman had a stellar 2023 campaign, completing 188-of-229 passes for 2,973 yards, 38 touchdowns and just one interception.

Jonathan Bueno Jr., ATH, True North Classical: Bueno Jr. was a scoring machine for True North this past season. The athlete rushed for 988 yards on 118 carries and scored 17 touchdowns and also caught 18 passes for 264, three scores.

Joseph Allen, QB, Melbourne Central Catholic: Allen had a breakout signal caller this season for the Hustlers. The freshman quarterback completed 148-of-245 passes for 2,174 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Champ Smith, QB, Jupiter Christian: Another freshman quarterback that came onto the scene and played well was Smith of the Warriors. The signal caller completed 141-of-233 passes for 1,974 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Kyree Wilson, RB, Christ’s Church Academy: Leading all freshman in rushing yardage was Wilson out of the Jacksonville area. The running back rushed for 1,282 yards on 144 attempts and scored 12 touchdowns.

Jaylen Johnson, RB, South Broward: Johnson made plenty of plays on offense at running back, proving to be one of the best newcomers in South Florida. The freshman rushed for 1,173 yards and scored six touchdowns.

Nino Joseph, RB, Lely: The freshman running back was one of the most elusive backs in all of Collier County. Joseph will be a good one to watch for, with this past season the back rushing for 825 yards on 105 carries and seven touchdowns.

Kaneilius Purdy, ATH, Lake Wales: Getting playing time on a team that won a state title in 2022 isn’t an easy thing. Purdy was able to, hauling in 30 passes for 681 yards, 10 touchdowns and also made 35 tackles and an interception.

Kaden Henderson, LB, Jesuit: Henderson was a key contributor for the Tigers’ defense in 2023, with the outside linebacker notching 85 tackles, six sacks, broke up three passes, two interceptions and recovered a fumble.

Tranard Roberts, RB/DB, Williston: Now maybe Roberts’ stats won’t jump out at you, but trust us when we say this running back was a stud. The freshman rushed for 409 yards on 33 carries and scored seven touchdowns. Also made 17 tackles and broke up three passes.