BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School senior football players Kyren Green, Wilmarius Jackson and Jackson Parmeter signed letters of intent to play football at the next level during a Feb. 4 signing ceremony in the school’s auditorium.
The National Signing Day event had offensive linemen Green and Jackson announce they were going to Division II schools — Green to Georgia’s Valdosta State University and Jackson to Jacksonville’s Edward Waters University. Parmeter, a safety, will be heading to Kansas City to join the Avila University program, which is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Jackson said, “It feels really great to be able to play football in college,” while Parmeter said he was “really and truly blessed.”
“All the hard work I put in didn’t go unnoticed,” Parmeter said.
For Green, it’s a chance to return to the field after missing a year. He’s coming off a knee injury last spring.
“It’s just really a sigh of relief,” Green said. “A big weight was on my shoulders.”
Green will join a Valdosta State program that played for the Division II national championship in 2024, finishing as runner-up with a season record of 13-1.
The Blazers weren’t as successful in 2025, but did win the Gulf South Conference Championship and finishing with a 6-5 record.
In choosing Valdosta State, Green said, “I like how close they are, and I really like the coaching staff.”
He also described the campus as “super chill,” adding that it’s his type of place.
As a junior, Green was part of an offensive line that helped Bradford run for 2,250 yards in 2024. The Tornadoes averaged 6.9 yards per rushing attempt.
Green, though, said he needs to improve in his run blocking as he prepares to transition to the next level. He feels pass blocking is his strength right now.
The tackle/guard, who was listed at 6-4, 310 on Bradford’s 2024 roster, is one of five offensive linemen in Valdosta State’s signing class. Green is also one of 16 Florida players in that class.
Jackson, a 6-5 tackle who transferred from Baker County, said he felt good about getting an opportunity to play in college, crediting “all the work I put in during the summer and all the studying of film.” He added that the BHS coaching staff helped get him to the next level.
As for choosing Edward Waters, Jackson said it’s a good school that also doesn’t take him too far from home.
“I can visit my family anytime I want, and they can visit me,” Jackson said.
That also means being able to enjoy home-cooked meals, which Jackson cited as a plus.
In looking at his game, Jackson said his goals are to become more aggressive and to make strides in the weightroom.
“I just need to get to a bigger and better level than I am at now, so I can improve,” Jackson said.
Parmeter, a transfer from Keystone Heights, recorded 57 tackles for the Tornadoes in 2025. He considered Georgia’s Reinhardt University and Thomas University, but he said that “at the end of the day, I just had to pick what’s best for me and my future.”
What was best was Avila. Parmeter said Head Coach Ed Warinner was the appeal. Warinner was the offensive coordinator on Ohio State’s 2014 national-championship team and has extensive Division-I experience at schools such as Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
Parmeter said Warinner is like the head coach he played for this past season.
“Just his background in coaching and the type of mentality he has reminds me of Coach (Jamie) Rodgers,” Parmeter said. “It’s what I’m used to in football.”
The 5-10, 175-pound player, who said he will be a hybrid nickel/safety at Avila, credited his transfer to Bradford for putting in this position, saying he became more physical as a player and learned to read plays better. Trying to improve, though, doesn’t stop.
“I definitely need to get better in man-on-man and just get faster and stronger,” Parmeter said.
All three players enjoyed being able to participate in a signing ceremony with teammates.
“It was a blessing,” Green said. “It feels good just to see them be able to play at the next level, too.”
Jackson said, “It was a cool moment to know that the guys I played with get to play college football and do the things that I get to do. I’m just hoping that they can get better in the future like I want to do.”
“It feels great. I mean, I didn’t want all the attention on me,” Parmeter said, adding, “I’m thankful that I got to share this opportunity with them and that God helped them in their lives.”
As you can imagine, the players expect to feel anxious when they step onto the field for the first time as college players, but they’re ready to embrace their opportunities that will make longtime dreams come true.
“It’s going to feel great,” Jackson said. “I’m just hoping that it’ll go great.”
Green is more than ready to get back onto the field after being off it for a year.
“I know I’m going to have some nerves,” he said, “but after those first two plays, I’ll get over it.”
