High School

Trace Johnson to leave Buchholz (Florida) to play for Carson Palmer in California

The Class of 2026 quarterback announced his intentions on Friday afternoon via X to head to the Golden State

Andy Villamarzo

Buchholz Bobcats quarterback Trace Johnson (12) throws the ball against the Tocoi Creek Toros during the first half at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Monday, October 14, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Buchholz Bobcats quarterback Trace Johnson (12) throws the ball against the Tocoi Creek Toros during the first half at Citizens Field in Gainesville, FL on Monday, October 14, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The transfer bug hit Mid-Central Florida in a stunning manner on Friday afternoon.

Class of 2026 quarterback Trace Johnson announced via X that he would be transferring from Buchholz (Florida) to play for Carson Palmer's Santa Margarita Eagles. Johnson was the Bobcats' starting quarterback for the past two seasons, leaving behind one of Florida's top teams in Class 6A.

Down below is the post by Johnson on X:

"After much thoughts and prayers, my family and I have decided I will be transferring to Santa Margarita. Thank you Buchholz. Thank you to coach Palmer for the opportunity."

The moves comes as a complete surprise as Buchholz was slated to return Johnson and 2026 star athlete Justin Williams, who owns a bevy of Power 4 offers from universities around the country.

Johnson in his two seasons at Buchholz combined to throw for 6,366 yards and 64 touchdowns. In the last two years, Johnson had led the Bobcats to the state semifinals both times, falling short against Lakeland and Kissimmee Osceola, respectively.

According to 247Sports, Johnson currently has offers from colleges like Arkansas State, Central Michigan, East Carolina, Georgia Southern and Southern Miss.

Palmer, who played in the NFL from 2003-2017 for primarily the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals, was named head football coach at his alma mater Santa Margarita back in mid-December.

Former NFL QB Carson Palmer named high school football coach at California alma mater

Palmer helped lead the Eagles to multiple CIF titles and also earned All-American, All-State, All-Southern Section, and All-CIF State honors, From his high school days to college, Palmer went on to play at Southern California where he won the Heisman Trophy (2002) before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Bengals.

Over the span of 14-plus years in the NFL, Palmer threw for over 14,000 yards and made the Pro Bowl three times (2005, 2006, 2015).

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi | @Andy_Villamarzo

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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