West Palm Beach, FL.- Breaking News: One of the top linebackers of the 561, Joe Sykes (‘27), has announced his intent to transfer from Palm Beach Gardens to Cardinal Newman.

Sykes, a 6 foot LB had a breakout sophomore season, recording:

127 Tackles

33 TFLs

2 Sacks

1 FF

4 PBUs

Sykes is a hard hitting, ball hawk linebacker, who pairs natural speed and physicality with elite field vision and football IQ. Last season, it felt like Sykes was always in the mix, coming away with double digit tackles every week. Joe currently holds one Division I FBS offer from Memphis

Joe Sykes will be joining a star studded Cardinal Newman squad that features elite talent on both sides of the ball. Newman has solidified themselves as one of the premier “Blue Blood” programs in our area, annually making deep playoff pushes, while numerous seniors go on to play at high major programs. 

The Crusaders were the second to last team standing in 2024, falling in the State Final 4 to Clearwater Central Catholic.