No. 99 Choctawhatchee 2026 Football Preview | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 99 Choctawhatchee
Choctawhatchee returns 15 starters from a 12-win state semifinal team, but must replace its quarterback and top three sack producers.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/14/20265 min read
Choctawhatchee won 12 games in 2025, outscored its opponents 449-142 and reached the FHSAA Class 4A state semifinals. The Indians return nine starters on offense and six on defense, giving head coach Frank Beasley an experienced group after the program's deepest postseason run in years.
The returning production is concentrated at running back, receiver and in the secondary. The largest changes are at quarterback and along the defensive front, where several of last season's statistical leaders graduated.
Team Snapshot
School: Choctawhatchee Indians
Location: Fort Walton Beach, Florida
2026 classification: FHSAA Class 4A, District 1
2025 record: 12-2
2025 finish: District champion; lost 31-14 to eventual state champion American Heritage in the Class 4A semifinals
Head coach: Frank Beasley
Returning starters: Nine offense, six defense
T25PS rank: No. 99
2026 Outlook
Choctawhatchee returns most of the skill-position rotation from an offense that helped produce 449 points. Senior running back Von'tavius Keller has 2,523 career rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns. He ran for 696 yards and five scores in 2025 after a 1,774-yard sophomore season. Senior Dante Whidbee added 439 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 56 carries last year, while senior Carter Marracco accounted for nine total touchdowns.
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The passing game also brings back senior DJ Spence, who caught 26 passes for 444 yards and six touchdowns. Ryne Burks returns at tight end, and senior linemen Devante Johnson and Peyton Youssef give the offense two experienced blockers with Division I offers.
The significant offensive question is at quarterback. Tamen Zabetakis graduated after throwing 26 touchdown passes and leading the team in rushing yards per game. Choctawhatchee does not need to replace every part of that production with one player, but the new quarterback must distribute the ball to an experienced group and avoid putting additional pressure on the defense.
Six defensive starters return, led by senior defensive back Amir Reese. Reese intercepted five passes in 2025 and also contributed in the return game. Sophomore edge TJ Franklin recorded 12 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks in nine games as a freshman. His role should increase after Choctawhatchee graduated Ellis Alloway, Mario Alloway and Boston Murray, the team's top three sack producers from last season.
Players to Know
Von'tavius Keller: RB, Class of 2027
Keller enters his senior season with 2,523 career rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns. His offer list includes Minnesota, Toledo, Arkansas State and South Alabama.
DJ Spence: WR, Class of 2027
Spence finished 2025 with 26 receptions for 444 yards and six touchdowns. He holds Division I offers from South Alabama and Alabama State.
Devante Johnson: OL/DL, Class of 2027
Johnson is listed at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds. His current offer list includes South Alabama, Marshall, FIU, Alabama State and Gardner-Webb.
Peyton Youssef: OL, Class of 2027
Youssef is a returning starter on the offensive line. Chattanooga and Gardner-Webb are among the Division I programs that have offered him.
Amir Reese: DB/WR, Class of 2027
Reese recorded five interceptions during Choctawhatchee's run to the state semifinals. His offers include South Florida, South Alabama, Troy, Arkansas State and FIU.
TJ Franklin: EDGE, Class of 2029
Franklin produced four tackles for loss and two sacks in nine varsity games as a freshman. Florida State and Troy have offered the 2029 prospect.
Schedule Breakdown
Choctawhatchee's 10-game schedule includes seven teams that reached the playoffs in 2025. The Indians open Aug. 20 at Mosley, then host Auburn (AL) eight days later. September includes three road games and the home matchup with Niceville, a team Choctawhatchee defeated 42-7 last season.
District play begins Sept. 11 at Escambia and continues against Milton, Fort Walton Beach, Booker T. Washington and Gulf Breeze. The regular season closes Oct. 29 at Thompson, the defending Alabama Class 7A state champion and #3 team in our preseason rankings. .
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 20: at Mosley
Aug. 28: Auburn (AL)
Sept. 4: at Pace
Sept. 11: at Escambia
Sept. 18: Niceville
Sept. 25: at Milton
Oct. 9: Fort Walton Beach
Oct. 16: Booker T. Washington
Oct. 23: Gulf Breeze
Oct. 29: at #3 Thompson (AL)
Biggest Question
Can Choctawhatchee replace its quarterback and pass rush without losing the balance that produced a 12-win season?
The Indians return enough offensive experience to keep the new quarterback from carrying the entire unit. Keller, Whidbee, Marracco and Spence all produced touchdowns in 2025, and the line returns two seniors with Division I offers. Defensively, Reese gives the secondary a proven takeaway threat, but the front must replace the three seniors who led the team in sacks.
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T25PS Prediction
Regular season: 9-1
Postseason: FHSAA Class 4A finalist
I have Choctawhatchee winning District 1 and making a run at the title. Thompson makes a perfect regular season unlikely, but the returning offensive depth and 15 returning starters give the Indians enough experience to remain one of the strongest public-school teams in Florida's Class 4A field. Now that it's possible for a team like American Heritage to qualify for the open division playoff, it leaves an opening for squads like Choctawatchee to make a run at a state title. We love that.
Bottom Line
Choctawhatchee is replacing important production, but it's definitely not a full rebuild. Nine offensive starters return, the backfield produced 26 rushing touchdowns last season, and the secondary brings back a five-interception corner.
The state-title case depends on the new quarterback playing efficiently and Franklin leading a rebuilt pass rush. If those two areas hold up, Choctawhatchee has enough returning depth to exceed last year's postseason run.
