No, this kid has good parents with good jobs and his older brother started for us several seasons and attended LIU on scholarship this past year.  His Dad is a very savvy football guy and he must have been onboard with the decision.  The WHY is always a guessing game, thus speculation so I hope you appreciate me not opining on reasons.  We hope it works in his favor, but you never know as I think he will have to compete for playing time in the secondary there just as he was doing here.  Thankfully our coaching staff believe in merit and all starting positions have to be earned, which I fully support.   Reason given why players transferred to TFA have little merit as they certainly don't apply to the 2 we lost to them last year.  The OL we lost is from a very well to do family whose Dad is a prominent OB/ GYN doctor in the central FL area and after last season and looking ahead to this season, it remains a real head scratcher as to WHY??  Over the summer I am sure we will gain a few and lose a few with the hope in each of those moves it truly benefits the student/player, not the coach that is only trying to make a name for himself by taking shortcuts.

Was the DB who transferred to Lakeland at all involved with, or related to, the awful tragedy that occured with the head coach's family? Obviosuly not to a significant degree as he played there last year. I just recall seeing some names involved last I checked and I wonder. Perhaps not something to discuss publicly. Anyway, I see on the depth chart the Kowboys submitted to the FHSAA for the state title game he was a backup, and three of the starters were underclassmen. So, he's likely in a similar situation at Lakeland where he'll compete for, but not be promised, a starting spot.  

Perhaps we should spend $20 million for an expert to tell us 

Sounds like your intentions are genuine, but your argument is weak.  NO ONE is telling any student he or she can't transfer to a better school be it for academics or athletics and here is where your argument falls apart.  We have "SCHOOL CHOICE" for that very reason, but that doesn't include coaches, their agents, parents or others actively trying to recruit an athlete simply because he can help their program win offering them any number of perks.   Osceola is a relatively low income county compared to the surrounding Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia thus a Title 1 school.  However, the administration, faculty, coaches and support staff do a very good job with the kids they are handed be it on the education front or athletics.  We just had a DB transfer to Lakeland HS and my guess is he and his parents have their reasons for doing so that they deem beneficial for his senior year.  We had a RB transfer in from Toho probably with a similar scenario.  That I have no problem with and the way the program is supposed to work.  TFA and the kids (30 as others have pointed out) that went there is an abomination that can only be chalked up to recruiting which is illegal and thankfully has consequences for ALL!!

My son goes to a school that has million dollar homes and crack houses and trailers all in the zone. And everything in between.    Avila is one of the richest neighborhoods in Tampa. It’s in the Gaither district which has some slummy areas and a lot of bad kids who don’t want to be educated. Just cause crime and problems for the kids that do