The Wekiva Mustangs aren’t running from last season. They’re using it as motivation. 

After finishing with just one win in 2025, Wekiva enters the 2026 season with a revamped roster, a new-look coaching staff and a group of players determined to establish a new standard for Mustang football. 

The changes are noticeable throughout the roster. Wekiva added eight varsity transfers during the offseason, bringing in players from Evans, Ocoee and Lyman while also adding two freshmen from West Oaks Academy. 

The influx of new players has given coach Ashton Watts and his staff plenty of pieces to work with as they attempt to rebuild the program. 

The Mustangs got their first opportunity to see that new-look roster in action during the Preseason Kickoff Classic against Tavares. They scored a 14-13 comeback win against a 2025 playoff team. 

Now, the games begin to count. Wekiva opens the regular season at home against Cypress Creek on Aug. 21 before hitting the road for three consecutive games. 

Leading the Mustangs into the season are four captains who have emerged as some of the team’s most important players: senior wide receiver Reshard Ricketts, senior running back Landon Jerome, senior linebacker Jaylyn Noel and senior safety Avantae Scott. 

Ricketts transferred from Evans and has quickly made an impression on the coaching staff. The senior brings size, speed and reliable hands to a receiving corps that could become one of Wekiva’s biggest strengths. 

Jerome has been one of the team’s most consistent standouts throughout the offseason. The senior running back has turned heads with his physical running style and ability to break off explosive plays. 

He showed that ability during both the Maroon and Gold Game and the spring jamboree, where he broke loose for several big runs. 

After putting together a strong offseason, Jerome enters the season as one of the players Wekiva will rely on most to establish its offense. 

The Mustangs will also have plenty of speed on the outside. 

Senior track athletes Bakary Manley and Dominique Walker are expected to play major roles at wide receiver. Walker made his presence known during the spring jamboree and the kickoff classic as one of the team’s primary targets, while Manley’s speed gives Wekiva another player capable of stretching a defense. 

Scott also gives the Mustangs another option at receiver. The senior captain is expected to contribute on offense, defense and special teams, including returning kicks. 

Defensively, Scott will have one of the most important responsibilities on the field. 

As the team’s safety, he is trusted to prevent big plays from developing behind the defense. His speed has made him one of Wekiva’s most reliable athletes in the secondary, and Watts has shown confidence in his ability to handle the responsibility. 

Noel will be another key piece of the defense. 

The senior linebacker has spent the summer establishing himself as a vocal leader in the middle of the field. During 7-on-7 competition, Noel made multiple interceptions while showing the versatility to make plays in coverage. 

The roster overhaul goes beyond the four captains. 

The Mustangs also added senior defensive back Tommy Henderson from Ocoee. Henderson recorded 18 tackles last season and brings varsity experience to a secondary that will need to develop quickly. 

Senior Reshard Ricketts and junior Gavin Anderson-Brown both transferred from Evans. Noel and Henderson came from Ocoee, while juniors Jaiden Robison and Marquavius Teague transferred from Lyman. 

Wekiva also added freshmen Nehemiah and Jeremiah Middleton from West Oaks Academy. 

Anderson-Brown enters the season with additional momentum after earning a college offer from Warner University during the offseason. 

At quarterback, senior Dominick Sanguine takes over after playing at Olympia last season. 

Sanguine has impressed the Wekiva coaching staff throughout the offseason and has emerged as a senior leader for a team that has undergone significant change. His ability to command the offense and distribute the ball to Wekiva’s collection of playmakers will be important as the Mustangs look to find consistency on that side of the ball. 

Freshman Terrance Cook will provide depth at quarterback at the junior varsity level as Wekiva continues developing its young talent. 

The Mustangs’ biggest challenge may be turning all of those individual pieces into a cohesive team. 

The roster has changed. The coaching staff has changed. The expectations inside the program have changed. 

Now comes the difficult part: proving it on Friday nights. 

Wekiva has spent the offseason competing in 7-on-7 events and preparing its new group of players for the season. The work has given Watts and his staff an opportunity to evaluate the newcomers while allowing returning players to establish themselves as leaders. 

For Jerome, Noel, Scott and Ricketts, that leadership responsibility will extend beyond statistics. They are the players tasked with helping establish what Wekiva football looks like moving forward.