A trio of Monroe County athletes have caught the attention of top Florida universities – and the school year is still in its first weeks.
Coral Shores hurler Donovan Thiery had multiple offers pile in and narrowed them down, putting the University of Miami and Florida State University on his short list. After touring both campuses and meeting the coaches, Thiery was equally impressed with the schools. Ultimately, he decided on FSU in order to experience something outside of South Florida. Thiery verbally committed to pitch for the Seminoles and can sign his official letter of intent in November.
The Conchs have a pair of athletes with offers to play football in the Sunshine State, and one is not yet a senior. Junior Josh Johnson already has an offer to play at Florida Atlantic University and will no doubt have more to entertain by the end of next year.
Teammate Noah Mercer, a senior, has verbally committed to play at University of South Florida next year. Mercer will join the Bulls on the gridiron in 2026 and could make his first appearance in a Bulls uniform as early as this spring. The Bulls are so eager for Mercer to start his collegiate career with them that they offered to provide him with a spot on campus one semester early, meaning he could forgo his final semester of high school and head to Tampa after Christmas break.
All three athletes are multisport standouts. Thiery’s talent on the hardwood matches the intensity he brings to the diamond, but he made the decision to focus on playing baseball at the next level. Off the football field, Mercer and Johnson are exceptional track athletes. Both excel in the throwing events and each owns a school record. Mercer broke the school’s discus record last season while Johnson did the same in shot put.
