Cardinal Mooney entered the 2024 campaign as defending state champions and entered the 2025 playoffs undefeated before falling to eventual champion Cocoa in the Class 2A semifinals. The expectations for a run at the title remain the same for the Cougars again in 2025, and they return virtually their entire core on both sides of the ball. Leading the way is rising senior quarterback Devin Mignery, who threw for 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 1,199 yards and nine more scores. Alongside Mignery is rising junior Connail Jackson, who tallied 1,604 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. While Mignery and Jackson will help move the chains for Cardinal Mooney, the Cougars defense is loaded. Elijah Golden, the No. 4 DL in the USA Today Florida Top 100, leads a stout defensive line that returns rising sophomore Trey Lester (9.0 sacks, 19.0 TFL as a freshman).
Alabama pushing hard for 2026 DL Elijah Golden
The Crimson Tide offered Golden in January and managed to get him on campus twice this spring plus locked in an official visit in the summer. Golden, who registered 10.0 sacks and 29.0 TFL as a junior, says the relationship with defensive line coach Freddie Roach and the rest of the staff has skyrocketed since being offered. "The relationship since (January) has built a lot, a lot," Golden said. "Those two visits helped it grow a lot." Also pushing for Golden is his hometown Virginia Tech
Hokies . They were the King George, Va., native's first Power-4 offer in 2022, and have worked hard to stay in the running. Golden locked in an official visit to Virginia Tech this summer after Hokie assistants Shawn Quinn and JC Price made a trip to Sarasota. "I've known coach Quinn and almost that entire coaching staff for almost three years now," he said. "So I just have a good relationship with them." Golden also has official visits locked in to Notre Dame, which has been recruiting Golden since he was a freshman. The
Fighting Irish hold three commitments from players in the USA Today Florida Top 100, and have made it clear to Golden that he is high up on their board in hopes of adding him into the fold. Oklahoma is one of the newer schools to come into the fold, but got Golden to schedule an official visit in mid-June. Golden cites Sooner co-defensive coordinator Todd Bates' track record of development as a big plus in his recruitment. Two more schools to keep an eye on for Golden are Clemson and Stanford, both of which are trying to get Golden on campus for a visit sooner rather than later.
2026 IOL Da'Ron Parks setting up official visits with blue-chip programs
The Cougars averaged 444.1 yards of total offense per game last year, thanks in large part to a stout offensive line led by rising senior Da'Ron Parks. Parks is ranked as the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the USA Today Florida Top 100, and has dominated on the camp circuit this offseason, earning an invite to the Under Armour All-American Game. Parks is a major target for Florida State and was close with the previous staff. New offensive line coach Herb Hand has been recruiting Parks since his time on UCF's staff, and they've carried the relationship into his new role in Tallahassee. FSU hosted Parks for an unofficial visit in late March. He locked in an official visit last week. "Coach Hand offered me when he was at UCF, so we have a very strong relationship," Parks said. "He's one of those guys who makes sure you're always feeling the love from him. He tells me he loves me at tackle - some schools want to move me inside, but I just want to play. I just want to get on that field." Parks is set for an official visit to Auburn, which he also took an unofficial visit to the same weekend as his trip to FSU. Kentucky also sits in a good spot with Parks, and he's set to take an official visit in June. Leading the charge in his recruitment is offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who rejoined Kentucky's staff after two years at Alabama. "Coach (Wolford) knows exactly what he's doing with the offensive line," he said. "He's put at least 50-plus guys in the league, so he knows what he wants and he knows what the NFL wants. I feel like he has a good word, and whenever you're trying to get to that next, those NFL scouts take coaches like that at their word because they know." Penn State has been at the forefront of Parks' recruitment since becoming his first Power 4 offer in spring 2023. He's locked in an official visit for early June. "They took a shot on me when I was a young guy," he said. "And they've stayed consistent with me... They offered me three years ago, and they still talk to me almost every single day. So there's consistency, and you see the head coach (James Franklin) isn't leaving, and that's the kind of stuff you're looking for."
Other recruiting notes
Connail Jackson, 2027 RB: Jackson is primed for a big junior campaign after averaging 9.5 yards per carry as a sophomore. Wake Forest and Pitt extended offers to him this week, his first Power-4 offers.
Macaiden Brown, 2026 DB: Brown is a coveted, well-traveled defensive back who holds offers from Auburn, Kansas, Louisville, and others. He recently locked in an official visit to Buffalo.
LaRon Dues, 2026 DB: Dues took an unofficial visit to Indiana for the Hoosiers' spring game and has set an official visit for this summer. He reports 28 offers from the likes of Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia, Memphis, and Arizona.
Davin Davidson, 2027 QB: Davidson, a 6-foot-6 signal caller, is the heir apparent to a spring-loaded Cougar offense. He's landed himself on Miami and Florida's radars.
Kymistrii Young, 2026 WR: Young has reeled in around 19 offers since the end of the 2024 season, including Miami, FSU, UCF, and USF. Arkansas got him to lock in a summertime official visit two weeks after extending an offer.
