Four South Devon College Footballers Sign for Torquay United’s New Elite Under-19 Squad
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19 Jun 2026 ]
South Devon College’s partnership with Torquay United has reached an exciting new milestone, with four of the College’s most promising young footballers becoming the first members of the Gulls’ brand new Elite Under-19 squad for the 2026/27 season.
Coby White, Fin Herbert, Jonah Shaw and Toby Hard have all signed deals to join the squad, marking the next step in a pathway that takes College students from grassroots and youth football through to the doorstep of the professional game at Plainmoor.
The Elite squad has been introduced jointly by South Devon College and Torquay United to bridge the gap between traditional youth team football, which ends at Under-18 level, and the demands of senior professional football. It gives the College’s best young players a clear route to keep developing as footballers while studying at South Devon, training regularly alongside Jimmy Ball’s first-team squad and remaining registered to play for the Gulls on a non-contract basis.
All four players will also be dual-registered, meaning they can gain valuable senior playing experience with local non-League clubs at weekends, all while continuing their studies at the College.
The partnership is growing on the pitch too: South Devon College and Torquay United will enter a joint Under-19 side into the National League Youth Alliance League next season, giving College players regular, competitive midweek fixtures against other National League academies, with a minimum of six of those games hosted at Plainmoor.
Players, staff and family members gather pitchside at Torquay United to mark recent signings.
Craig Hutcheson, Head of Football at South Devon College, said the announcement reflected years of work building the pathway for the College’s players.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity,” said Hutcheson.
“We’ve all been working very hard to create this pathway for our young players coming through the College and then being exposed to the professional environment. Whilst we’ve had the partnership over the last few years, our players have been training with the senior squad on an ad-hoc basis, but this now gives something tangible to work for, and provides a clear pathway.”
“This development solidifies and cements that opportunity for an elite group of our players to get a chance with the first-team at Torquay,” added South Devon College’s Head of Sport, Daniel Gaze.
Torquay United Football Club Head of Youth, Ryan Perks, was equally pleased to welcome the College’s players into the new set-up.
“This is a good opportunity for these young players to be around the first-team to develop and understand the expectations of being a professional footballer, whilst gaining experience at other clubs playing a good standard of senior football.
“At the same time, they’ll be continuing their studies with South Devon College, so I think it’s exciting for all parties.”
Meet The First Elite U19 Intake
Coby White
Coby White signs paperwork at Torquay United, pictured with Craig Hutcheson, Jimmy Ball (TUFC Manager) and Ryan Perks (TUFC Head of Youth).
A talented forward, Coby’s progress playing for Buckland Athletic and Newton Abbot Spurs last year earned him a place on the substitutes’ bench for Torquay United’s first-team matches against Dagenham and Chesham.
Fin Herbert
Fin Herbert signs paperwork at Torquay United, pictured with Craig Hutcheson, Jimmy Ball (TUFC Manager) and Ryan Perks (TUFC Head of Youth).
Another forward with huge potential, Fin has already agreed a deal with Brixham AFC for next season, having made a positive impression with the Fishermen last year. He also had a spell with Willand Rovers and made the first-team bench for the same matches against Dagenham and Chesham.
Jonah Shaw
Jonah Shaw signs paperwork at Torquay United, joined by Craig Hutcheson, Jimmy Ball (TUFC Manager) and Ryan Perks (TUFC Head of Youth).
A gifted midfielder, Jonah gained experience of Southern League football with Brixham last season, alongside appearances for Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police. Like Coby and Fin, he was also named among the substitutes against Chesham last March.
Toby Hard
Toby Hard signs paperwork at Torquay United, joined by Craig Hutcheson, Jimmy Ball (TUFC Manager) and Ryan Perks (TUFC Head of Youth).
An exciting forward, Toby followed up his pre-season showings for United’s first-team with plenty of senior football last season, with both Buckland Athletic and Newton Abbot Spurs giving him regular experience of the men’s game.
Join The Pathway
South Devon College is continuing to recruit for its Academy Programme with Torquay United. Students interested in combining their studies with this professional pathway can register their interest online HERE, or contact the College’s Head of Football, Craig Hutcheson, directly at [email protected].
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