By Kyle Coppola
Villages Charter Football Player Jonathan Harding Commits To Memphis
THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Jonathan Harding, a standout senior tight end at The Villages Charter High School, has committed to play football for the University of Memphis in 2025. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound three-star recruit announced his decision on Wednesday, solidifying his future with the Tigers in the American Athletic Conference.
Harding, widely regarded as one of the best tight ends to emerge from Sumter County in recent years, brings a dynamic skill set to the Memphis roster. Known for his ability to block and make clutch receptions, Harding capped off his senior season with 38 receptions for 422 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per catch. He also demonstrated versatility on the defensive side, tallying 48 tackles, including 10 solo stops and 3 sacks.
(Jonathan was surrounded by love and support. Here he stands with his high school coaches.)
In his announcement, Harding emphasized the role of faith and family in his journey.
“First and foremost, I give all praise and glory to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. His grace, mercy, and love have brought me to this moment, and the Holy Spirit has guided me through every step of adversity along the way,” Harding said. “I want to thank my family for their support all these years, my dad he has always been my biggest role model. He has always believed in me and I will never forget the countless things he has said to keep me motivated. My mom is my rock, I just want to thank her for loving me and helping pick me up when I fall, and always believing in me, she spent so much time and energy driving me everywhere. She’s my biggest cheerleader.” says Jonathan.
(Jonathan signs his commitment letter. His father Tim Harding “left” and mother Jennifer Harding “right” look on proudly.)
He also expressed gratitude toward his extended family, siblings, his head coach Richard Pettus and assistant coaches along with his new Memphis family.
Harding’s commitment marks a significant milestone not only for his career but also for The Villages football program which has seen many NCAA Division 1 players sign the past few years. It was fun to see the Harding brothers play together one final time in high school. Younger brother Patrick Harding was the quarterback this season and it was a joy to watch the brothers ball out together.
The Harding family celebrated the decision, acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices that paved the way for Jonathan’s success.
The University of Memphis is acquiring an exceptional athlete who brings toughness, skill, and leadership. Harding is expected to make an immediate impact when he arrives in 2025. He should be an exciting player to watch in the coming years.
Congratulations to the Jonathan Harding, his entire family, friends, coaches and mentors. We are very proud of him! Way to go Jonathan!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
