Venice Football 2026 Preview, Schedule and Prediction | T25PS | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 24 Venice
Venice returns two 1,000-yard playmakers, 12 starters and another championship-level roster as the Indians enter Florida Class 6A.
Top 25 Public HSFB7/23/20268 min read
Venice begins the 2026 season ranked No. 24 in the T25PS Public Schools Preseason Top 100 with two of Florida’s most productive offensive players returning.
The Indians finished 9-4 in 2025 and advanced to the Florida Class 7A state semifinals before losing 31-26 to eventual state champion Lake Mary.
That result ended Venice’s opportunity to defend its 2024 state championship, but it did not change the standard surrounding the program.
Venice has won four state championships, reached four state-title games during the past five seasons and expects to remain part of Florida’s championship conversation every year.
The program reports 12 returning starters, six on offense and six on defense, as the Indians move into Class 6A.
Receiver Tyree Mannings Jr. returns after catching 84 passes for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns. Running back Dorien “Macho” Irving-Jones rushed for 1,040 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
Those two give Venice one of the most productive returning offensive combinations in Florida. The biggest question is which transfer quarterback will be responsible for getting them the football.
Team Snapshot
School: Venice High School
Location: Venice, Florida
Classification: Florida Class 6A
District: District 12, Region 3
2025 record: 9-4
2025 finish: Class 7A state semifinalist
John Peacock
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Venice did not repeat as a state champion in 2025, but the Indians remained one of Florida’s strongest public-school programs.
They reached the Class 7A state semifinals and came within five points of eventual champion Lake Mary. The offense now returns two players who exceeded 1,000 yards last season.
Mannings is the player every opponent must locate before the snap.
The Class of 2028 receiver averaged nearly 110 receiving yards per game while also contributing 193 rushing yards and another touchdown. Venice can use him outside, in the slot or on designed touches intended to get him into open space.
Irving-Jones gives the offense balance.
The Class of 2027 running back surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and scored 15 touchdowns in 2025. Defenses cannot devote their entire game plan to Mannings when Venice can hand the football to a proven runner.
The quarterback competition will determine how quickly the offense reaches its potential.
Noah Patton transferred from IMG Academy, while Terrell Jones joined Venice after playing at Poinciana.
Patton completed nine of 11 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown while serving as a reserve at IMG Academy last season. Jones completed 21 of 36 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns at Poinciana while adding 111 rushing yards and another score.
Neither quarterback has been publicly named the starter.
The winner will not be asked to carry the entire offense. He must distribute the football, protect possessions and make enough vertical throws to prevent opponents from crowding the line of scrimmage.
Venice also returns an experienced defensive group.
Tristen Neeley, Anthony Beckom, Gabriel Octtaviani-Gonzalez, Micah Hayes, Ira Dale and Ky’Mani Reed give the Indians returning options at every level of the defense.
That experience should help Venice while the quarterback competition and other offensive roles are settled.
Players to Know
Tyree Mannings Jr. — WR, 2028
Mannings caught 84 passes for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. He also rushed for 193 yards and another score.
His production, versatility and ability to create explosive plays make him the centerpiece of the Venice offense. Mannings can win downfield, work through traffic or turn a short touch into a scoring opportunity.
Dorien “Macho” Irving-Jones — RB, 2027
Irving-Jones rushed for 1,040 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
He gives Venice a dependable running back capable of taking pressure off the quarterback and punishing defenses that focus too much attention on Mannings.
Noah Patton — QB, 2028
Patton transferred to Venice from IMG Academy after serving as a reserve quarterback in 2025.
He completed nine of 11 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown last season. His size, arm talent and performance during spring practice make him a legitimate candidate to lead the offense.
Terrell Jones — QB, 2027
Jones joined Venice after playing at Poinciana.
He completed 21 of 36 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns while adding 111 rushing yards and another score in 2025. His varsity experience and mobility give Venice another option in the quarterback competition.
Tristen Neeley — MLB, 2027
Neeley returns as one of the central pieces of the Venice defense after averaging more than 10 tackles per game in 2025.
His experience and ability to work between the tackles should make him one of the leaders of a defense returning six starters.
Gabriel Octtaviani-Gonzalez — EDGE, 2027
Octtaviani-Gonzalez gives Venice size and experience on the edge.
His ability to create pressure and contribute against the running game will become especially important against physical opponents such as Lakeland and Raines.
Anthony “AB” Beckom — DB, 2027
Beckom provides senior experience in the secondary.
Venice will need its defensive backs to prevent explosive plays while the front seven deals with several strong rushing attacks on the schedule.
Micah Hayes — DB, 2027
Hayes is another returning member of the Venice secondary.
His experience gives the Indians continuity on the back end and another defender capable of contributing against the passing games Venice will face outside the district.
Ira Dale Jr. — RB/LB, 2027
Dale can contribute on both sides of the football.
His versatility gives Venice additional backfield depth behind Irving-Jones and another physical option at linebacker.
Ky’Mani Reed — SS, 2027
Reed provides experience and physicality at safety.
He should have an important role in a secondary that will be asked to handle several different offensive styles throughout the season.
Jayvian Hoffmann — WR, 2028
Hoffmann adds another young target to the Venice receiving group.
His presence could make it more difficult for defenses to concentrate their coverage entirely on Mannings and gives the winning quarterback another option in the passing game.
Schedule Breakdown
Venice opens the regular season Aug. 21 at Booker before hosting SmartEn Sports Academy.
The schedule becomes considerably more difficult on Sept. 4 when the Indians travel to Lakeland.
That game will provide the first major measurement of the quarterback position and a Venice roster attempting to establish itself as one of Florida’s best teams.
The Indians return home Sept. 11 to face Lehigh in their first district game. Cape Coral and Sarasota visit Powell-Davis Stadium on the following two Fridays.
Venice then makes one of the longest trips on its schedule to face defending 3A State champion Raines in Jacksonville on Oct. 2.
The Raines game will test Venice’s physicality, depth and ability to handle a difficult road environment. It also gives the Indians another opportunity to strengthen their postseason résumé outside the district.
Lakewood Ranch visits Venice the following week. The Indians then travel to Riverview before closing the regular season at home against North Port.
The district games against Lehigh, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Riverview and North Port will shape Venice’s Class 6A standing.
Florida’s new Open Division creates another postseason possibility. If Venice finishes among the teams selected for that bracket, the Indians would leave the traditional Class 6A postseason and compete against the strongest qualifiers in the state regardless of classification.
2026 Venice Schedule
Aug. 21: at Booker
Aug. 28: vs. SmartEn Sports Academy
Sept. 4: at Lakeland
Sept. 11: vs. Lehigh
Sept. 18: vs. Cape Coral
Sept. 25: vs. Sarasota
Oct. 2: at Raines
Oct. 9: vs. Lakewood Ranch
Oct. 16: at Riverview
Oct. 23: vs. North Port
Biggest Question
Which quarterback can take control of the offense?
Venice already knows what it has in Mannings and Irving-Jones.
The Indians need one quarterback to emerge as the dependable distributor of an offense with championship-level skill talent.
Patton offers size, arm talent and long-term upside. Jones brings additional varsity experience and mobility.
The competition should make both players better, but Venice cannot afford instability once the most difficult games arrive.
The winner must protect the football, convert third downs and make defenses pay when they commit additional defenders to stopping the running game.
Venice does not need its quarterback to produce 300 yards every week. It needs consistent decisions and enough passing production to prevent opponents from building their entire game plan around Mannings and Irving-Jones.
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T25PS Prediction
Regular-season prediction: 10-0
Postseason prediction: FHSAA Open Division qualifier and quarterfinalist
Venice has enough offensive production and returning defensive experience to remain one of Florida’s strongest public-school teams.
The Indians could lose difficult games against Lakeland and Raines, but the roster should be capable of winning the District 12 championship and positioning Venice for another significant postseason opportunity.
The new Open Division adds uncertainty to every Florida projection. A strong regular season could place Venice in the eight-team bracket with the best programs in the state instead of leaving the Indians in the traditional Class 6A field.
The prediction is that Venice finishes 10-0, earns an Open Division selection and reaches the quarterfinal round of that bracket.
If Venice drops one or two of the games against Lakeland and Raines that would probably mean they remain in Class 6A instead, the Indians would be one of the leading state-championship contenders in the classification.
Bottom Line
Venice’s 2025 season would have been considered a major success at most programs.
The Indians went 9-4, reached the state semifinals and lost by five points to the eventual champion. At Venice, that result became the foundation for another championship pursuit.
Mannings and Irving-Jones give the offense two proven 1,000-yard playmakers. Six returning defensive starters give the Indians experience on the other side of the football.
The quarterback competition is the largest variable, but Patton and Jones give Peacock two legitimate options.
The schedule will provide Venice with several opportunities to prove it belongs among Florida’s best teams before the postseason structure is determined.
If Venice receives dependable quarterback play, the Indians could outperform their No. 24 ranking and become a factor in the first FHSAA Open Division championship race.
Thanks for reading,
Alex | T25PS
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