January 21, 2026
South Lake High’s Jesse Barker Jr. Commits to University of West Florida
By Kyle Coppola
South Lake High’s Jesse Barker Jr. Commits to University of West Florida
South Lake High School senior defensive end Jesse Barker Jr. has committed to the University of West Florida, where he will continue his football career while pursuing his academic goals at the NCAA Division II program in Pensacola.
Jesse has been a standout leader for the Eagles over the past four years. He helped restore dominance to South Lake’s football program in Central Florida. He played a pivotal role in the team’s back-to-back district championships and guided them to the school’s first-ever appearance in the FHSAA Regional Finals during the 2025 season. The Eagles finished with an impressive 11-2 record, marking a historic campaign, the likes of which the Eagles hadn’t seen since the 1990s. This team was 0-10 just a few short years ago.
A model student-athlete, Jesse has a 4.6 GPA and has consistently excelled both on the field and in the classroom. He’s one of the smartest and well respected young men you’ll ever meet.
“Jesse is one of those rare athletes who excels in everything he does,” South Lake Head Coach Brad Lord says. “He’s got the physicality and instincts to dominate as a defensive end, but what really sets him apart is his commitment to excellence in the classroom. He’s the kind of player that makes everyone around him better. He’s like having an assistant coach out there on the field. He’s just a tough kid and has a can-do attitude.”
Jesse’s dominant 2025 season was one of the best ever for a South Lake High defensive player. Jesse totaled 19 sacks, 104 tackles (69 solo, 35 assisted), 34 tackles for loss, 32 quarterback hurries, 7 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. His relentless pursuit of quarterbacks earned him recognition as the Orlando Sentinel’s Defensive Player of the Year for the area.
“Back 2 Back Districts Championships and so proud of the team. Such a great experience to be apart of and make a difference in our school and community! Always will have Eagle Pride,” Jesse posted following the season.
“Jesse Barker plays the game the way it should be played,” Coach Lord says. “His hard work paid off this season as he was one of the leaders that led this program to new heights. He was named as the defensive player of the year by the Orlando Sentinel recently and was also the defensive mvp for our team. West Florida will be getting a tenacious leader that will make their whole team better.”
The Class of 2026 prospect will officially sign his National Letter of Intent with UWF on February 4th, joining the Argonauts’ program who are getting one of the top defensive ends in Florida.
Photos provided.
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.
