2014 High School Football Preseason Top 25 Early Contenders presented by Eastbay: No. 22 Trinity Christian

On any given Friday, Trinity Christian can compete with any team in the country. The question for head coach Verlon Dorminey's small but uber-talented squad is can it endure the grind of a full season given its lack of depth?

Last season, it captured a Class 3A state title in triumphant fashion, blasting Clearwater Central Catholic 34-7 in the title game.

Six starters on offense and eight starters on defense return from that squad, which should be drastically improved from a year ago.

Trinity Christian's Class of 2015 is a who's-who of blue chip recruits, highlighted by defensive back Kevin Toliver, a defensive back who looks like one of the elite secondary recruits of the last few years. He's got outstanding size and length coupled with top-notch athleticism.



Classmate Ben Edwards, a hard-hitting safety who recently switched his commitment from Ohio State to Auburn, is another elite talent roaming the secondary. Deontai Williams, also a defensive back, was Florida's first commit in the Class of 2015.

The amount of talent teeming in the secondary barely makes the linebackers blink. Linebacker Jeff Holland is the nation's No. 37 recruit in the 247Composite. Victor Alexander, a UCLA commit who made 70 tackles and 2.5 sacks last year, also returns, as does North Carolina-bound Andre Smith.

Up front, defensive tackle Kendrick Norton, a Florida State commit, and defensive end T.J. Jackson will shoulder most of the load. At least on paper, it should be one of the most talented defenses high school football has ever seen.

Norton doubles as a guard on the offensive line. Deion Eakins, James Washington and Austin Gifford all return up front as well to pave the way for superb junior running back Jalin Buie.

Buie gained 1,527 yards on the ground and scored 12 touchdowns. A contributor since the eighth grade, he's already topped 2,400 career yards.



Right now, the team's main question mark is at the quarterback position, as Dorminey is considering using Toliver behind center unless another option emerges.

Despite the wealth of talent, Trinity Christian lost handily (and inexplicably) 42-6 to a very good Godby squad, suggesting perhaps it wasn't quite at the level of the state's top large schools. A season-opening game against Buford (Ga.) -- a school in a nearly identical situation -- will be telling, as will an Oct. 10 rematch with Godby.

"Trinity is absolutely loaded on the defensive side of the ball. Entire secondary has either committed or holds FBS offers. Chasing the school's fifth state championship. They always have trouble finding local games because very few area teams will play them." - Justin Barney, Times-Union (@JustinBarneyTU)

"The Trinity Christian back seven is exceptional, and the defensive backfield could be as talented and deep of a secondary as we have seen in the high school ranks in many, many years."
- Jim Stefani, Recruiting Brain (@JimStefani)