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🏈 Eleven local high school football players from across the Panhandle are set to suit up for the University of West Florida in the 2025 season.
📣 Key returners like Walker Robinson and Troy Coughlin are joined by transfers and rising talents looking to make their mark.
🎓 Graduates from six area schools — Fort Walton Beach, West Florida High, Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Milton, and Tate — are represented on the Argonauts’ roster.
11 area high school graduates set to feature for West Florida in 2025
The University of West Florida football team is gearing up for the 2025 season, and there is no shortage of area talent on their roster. The Argonauts are looking to build on last year’s 7-3 record with the help of some names that you may recall hearing on Friday nights.
When UWF takes the field against Lenoir-Rhyne in the season opener on Aug. 29, 11 athletes from local high schools will hope to be key contributors to head coach Kaleb Noles’ Argonauts.
Fort Walton Beach High School
Two Fort Walton Beach alums are included in this year’s UWF roster. Senior linebacker Walker Robinson has been contributing for the Argonauts since his first season on campus, racking up high tackle numbers in each of his first three campaigns. Robinson, a two-time All-Area selection in high school, has tallied 112 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 15 tackles for loss in a West Florida uniform.
The other former Viking on the 2025 squad is defensive lineman Kaleb Williams. Through two seasons, the rising junior has appeared in only one game and has yet to record a stat.
West Florida High School
West Florida High School also has two graduates who will play for the University of West Florida (UWF) this season. Signal caller John Nicholas will hope to see his first minutes on the field in his sophomore season. Nicholas was a standout quarterback for West Florida High, throwing for 3,381 yards and 39 touchdown passes during his time as a Jaguar.
A player that Nicholas used to throw to on Friday nights, receiver Patrick Delcour, also represents the Jaguars at UWF. The redshirt sophomore has appeared in six games for the Argonauts, but he is still waiting on his first reception.
Navarre High School
The Raiders are another local high school team that has two athletes playing for the Argonauts. Sophomore Tyrell Mitchell and redshirt junior Devin Wright both reside in the UWF defensive backfield. Mitchell is entering his second season at UWF while still searching for his first appearance.
Wright, Mitchell’s counterpart at the linebacker position, saw his first collegiate action last season, bringing in seven total tackles in his seven games played. He was also a Pensacola News Journal and Northwest Florida Daily News All-Area selection during his senior year at Navarre.
Gulf Breeze High School
Yet another school with two former players on Kaleb Noles’ roster in 2025 is Gulf Breeze High School. Out of all the players from area schools who wear the Argonaut uniform, Gulf Breeze’s Liam “Lumpy” DeWeese and Troy Coughlin are arguably the most notable.
DeWeese, who will be in his first year at West Florida, recently transferred in from Stetson University in Deland, Florida. He totaled 65 tackles a season ago for the Hatters. The rising junior had multiple double-digit tackle efforts in his sophomore season and looks to be a great addition to UWF.
Though he only played two games and was redshirted last campaign for the Argonauts, running back Troy Coughlin still managed to rack up 50 yards on the ground and a touchdown in his two contests vs. Chowan and Erskine. Coughlin could be set to see an increased role in 2025 and will be keen to build on his positive performances from 2024.
Milton High School
The final team with two representatives is the Milton Panthers. Ryan Hunt and Nathan Wright found destinations outside the state of Florida upon graduating but have both since transferred back in-state to play for the Argonauts.
Hunt, a redshirt sophomore, played one season at Middle Tennessee State before deciding to come back to the Florida Panhandle. He did not appear on the offensive line for the Blue Raiders.
Tight end Nathan Wright initially took his talents to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, where he did not see game action. Both Hunt and Wright will begin their UWF careers looking to increase their time on the gridiron.
Tate High School
The lone representative from Tate High School is Labron Baldwin. The former Aggie also had a multi-step path to West Florida, initially committing to play for Mississippi College. While with the Choctaws, Baldwin appeared in nine games, including one against the Argonauts. The sophomore offensive lineman will now join UWF and look to boost their presence in the trenches.
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