Derrick Baker, a class of 2027 quarterback from national power St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., announced this week he was transferring to Georgia Class 5A champion Milton.
Baker has about 12 major Division I offers, a high number for a sophomore at his position, especially one who did not start last season. Baker presumably would’ve competed for the starting job vacated by the graduated starter.
Instead, he will compete at Milton to replace Luke Nickel, the AJC’s all-classification player of the year who signed with Miami. Though Nickel started as a sophomore, he was not as heavily recruited as Baker as that stage.
St. Thomas Aquinas was the consensus No. 30 team in the nation last season. Milton was No. 2.
High-profile high school football transfers are common, as several of Milton’s 2024 players came from elsewhere, but announcing them on social media in ways previously used to reveal college decisions is newsworthy, although increasingly common.
About a month ago, two players from Wisconsin announced their intentions to transfer to Milton. One was a quarterback. Milton coach Ben Reaves said he didn’t know them yet.
Transfers must move into their new school district with their family units to become illegible.
