Even with Florida’s transfer rules tightened this year, player movement is still shaping the conversation around Central Florida high school football heading into 2026.
That was clear Saturday at the 407 Sports Club facility in Ocoee, where more than 30 teams from Orange, Osceola and Volusia counties gathered for the second round of Central Florida High School Football Media Days. Coaches talked about new districts, an Open Division for the postseason and an Independent League, but transfers kept coming back as the biggest issue in the room.
The state’s approach has changed. Florida House Bill 7029 once allowed student-athletes to transfer statewide and play right away, but the rules were narrowed in June.
Under Senate Bill 538 and FHSAA guidelines, traditional student-athletes can now transfer and compete only in the county where they live. Midseason switches are no longer allowed, either.
There are exceptions, including a residential move, family crisis, district school board involuntary reallocation, or court-ordered changes for care of a student-athlete.
For programs like West Orange, the reality has been a constant balancing act. The Warriors, based in Winter Garden near Disney World, have still won plenty while dealing with roster turnover. Since 2020, they are 47-23, including a 10-2 season last year and a 10-3 mark in 2024.
“If you look at it, historically, we have lost seven to nine kids each year, but we were able to perform,” West Orange coach Geno Thompson said. “This year, we are on the opposite end.
We were actually able to gain some transfers. So, it’s a situation in today’s world.
“But, I’m old school,” Thompson said. “I like to be able to play with the kids I grew up with.
So, like I said, it’s a different dynamic you have to adjust to right now. But we’re going to get there.
The culture’s not there, yet. But we’re going to get there.”
Not every program is built around the transfer market, though. DeLand has taken a different path under Rick Darlington, who arrived in 2022 and has quickly turned the Bulldogs into one of the area’s top teams.
Darlington, a three-time state championship coach at Apopka, has more than 260 wins across Florida, Georgia and Alabama. At DeLand, he guided the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and the Class 7A regional finals last year, and they’re being mentioned as Central Florida’s top team in 2026. Still, Darlington said the program is not leaning on outside additions.
“We have zero on ours,” Darlington said. “Last year, we started zero transfers and went to the third round. We haven’t lost any players, so (transfers) don’t affect us much because we’re trying to build it with hometown DeLand guys that grew up together, just like we did at Apopka.”
He also made it clear he has little patience for the baggage that can come with the transfer era.
“When I hear about some of the reasons guys have transferred - getting paid, getting cars, getting recruited by coaches - basically, I don’t like it,” Darlington said. “I don’t think it’s ethical.
We’re not going to do that. If someone wants to come to our program because we have a good program and we take care of our guys on and off the field, that’s great.
“But, anytime, I hear about a transfer, I always ask our guys, ‘What kind of guy is he? Would he fit in here?’
I care a lot more about character than I do about talent when someone thinks about joining the program. I don’t want to mess up the culture we’re trying to build.”
Jones, meanwhile, is headed in the other direction. The two-time defending state runner-up is expected to add several transfers as it tries to finally break through and win a title in 2026. Assistant coach Everett Pruitt didn’t want to name them yet, but Rivals recently reported that defensive tackle DaJour Webb has transferred from Gibsonia, Pa., Pine-Richland to Jones for his senior season.
Webb, a West Virginia commit, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. He’ll line up with returnee Frederick Ards, a Texas A&M commit, on the defensive front.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Pruitt said. “Our guys are going to be up for the challenge and the opportunities that are presented to them.
“Playing in the state championship these past two years and coming up short is in our minds. They know how to get there and how hard they have to work, not just on the field, but also in the classroom and the weight room.”
Across the region, the message from coaches was consistent: whether a team is built on transfers or on players who grew up together, the real test comes after they arrive. Culture still decides what happens next.
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