Upchurch Transfers to Bishop Kenny
Cole Northrup • February 21, 2026
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John Upchurch Looking To Get State Title After Promising Freshman Season
By Byron Terry - X (Twitter)/Instagram: @BJT_ERA
Quarterback John Upchurch (6’0, 191lbs, 2029) out of Jacksonville, Florida had a quality freshman campaign at Christ Church Academy. Last season, Upchurch started in ten varsity football games as a freshman, throwing for 692 yards, 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions with a 97.8 QB Rating. In addition, he carried the ball 9 times for 86 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, showcasing his ability to get it done through the air and on the ground.
Upchurch detailed to QBDNA his time starting as a freshman as a “great experience” and iterated on the facets of leading a team, saying, “It gave me confidence and set the foundation for who I am as a quarterback today.”
Upchurch was able to lead Christ Church Academy to a 7-3 varsity record, but it may be time for a change of scenery for the quarterback.
Upchurch Transferring in 2026
Although Upchurch did a solid job at Christ Church Academy, he’ll spend the 2026 football season elsewhere as he’s transferring to Bishop Kenny High School. Bishop Kenny went 10-3 in 2025, while scoring 35 or more points against 9 teams. They lost in the playoffs to state champion Raines in the State Quarterfinal, 61-15. But nonetheless, a 3 round playoff run culminates into a great year for them.
Now Upchurch will have a new start at Bishop Kenny this year. When asked what went to the decision to transfer there, Upchurch stated, “Transferring to Bishop Kenny was about putting myself in the best overall environment. As a Catholic, it’s important for me to be in a school that aligns with my faith. At the same time, Bishop Kenny competes at a high level academically and athletically. I wanted to challenge myself against strong competition and continue growing as a leader on and off the field.”
Upchurch also described how he plans to lead Bishop Kenny in his first year with the team divulging, “At Bishop Kenny High School I hope to earn my opportunity to play, while the expectation is to compete for a state championship. We know we’ll face strong programs like Raines High School, The Bolles School, Mandarin High School and St. Augustine High School, and that’s the type of competition I want.
My leadership starts with preparation. I’ll make sure I’m locked in on film, understanding defensive tendencies, mastering our system, and setting the tempo every day. I lead with confidence, energy, and accountability. When your quarterback is steady and prepared, the team feeds off that.”
Bishop Kenny has a history of having Division 1 quarterbacks such as John Wolford and James Resar. Wolford, a class of 2014 graduate, threw for 10,621 yards and 126 touchdowns over the course of his high school football career. Wolford went on to play college football at Wake Forest and spent time in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams & Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Resar is the latest Bishop Kenny quarterback to go Division 1, playing college ball at Iowa after throwing for 4,756 yards and 47 touchdowns to 17 interceptions in his career at Bishop Kenny. Upchurch has the build to be the next D1 Quarterback for the Crusaders.
Recruiting Update
Upchurch has been making his rounds in the recruiting scene, having talks with Boston College and Delaware. Both schools are led by offensive minded head coaches, being Bill O’Brien and Ryan Carty respectively. Delaware just completed their first year in Conference USA, jumping up from the FCS level CAA conference, running a successful 7-6 campaign and 4-4 in conference play.
Upchurch tells QBDNA that he plans to visit Boston College again, along with other camp visits in the summer, but maintains his focus is on his performance this spring for BK. He’ll continue to compete at common recruiting events like Rivals, Under Armor and Elite11 events to gain experience.
Upchurch will be a player to watch in Florida heading into the 2026 season.
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