By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

A number of prospects turned heads at the Explosive Sports Training combine in Kingsland, Georgia.

Camden County, Georgia is home to one of the most powerful prep football programs in the country. State champions in 2003, 2008 and 2009, the Wildcats have won at least ten games every year since 2001, and that fall went undefeated through the regular season before an upset in the first round of the playoffs. Camden has, in recent years, stepped out of state to top the likes of Glenville (OH), Treasure Coast (FL), Miami Central, First Coast (FL), Hoover (AL) and Aiken (SC). Last season, the ‘Cats claimed a region championship in their first year in Region 1-AAAAAA, a pool with Lowndes and Valdosta that some have called the toughest in the nation. 

From instruction to preparation, the talent development process in Camden County is a well-oiled machine. Saturday morning at Chris Gilman Stadium in Kingsland, much of that infrastructure was on display.

At the Explosive Sports Training combine, an event hosted by U.S. Army veteran Dundee Dilworth and trainer Calvin Wilson, prospects from around the southeast came to both showcase their talents and learn from an impressive collection of on-site coaches. Among those spotted at Chris Gilman Stadium: former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion and Florida receiver Travis Taylor, former San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl champion and Florida State running back Dexter Carter, former NFL and Georgia Tech running back Joe Burns, former Clemson defensive lineman Rennie Moore, Jr. and current Georgia quarterback Brice Ramsey. Taylor, Moore and Ramsey all played at Camden and trained under Dilworth and Wilson. 

Prospects middle school through high school attended the Explosive Sports Training combine. Among the standouts was 2015 FSU-commit De’Andre Johnson. A quarterback from Jacksonville, the 6’2”, 178-pound Johnson has additional offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He showed exceptional footwork in drills, which were hosted by Ramsey, and was especially polished on his deep throws.  

De’Andre’s younger brother Tyreke, a rising eighth-grader, displayed his remarkable athleticism as well. At 6’1”, 172 pounds, the 13-year old has physical skills well beyond his  years. Despite his size, Tyreke is extremely agile, fluid and has great body control for a teenager obviously still growing into his frame. As reported by Southern Pigskin’s Matt Osborne, he has already been offered by both Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt.   

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina quarterback William Coleman was another top performer. A rising junior at Wando High School, Coleman stands 6’3”, 182 pounds and threw the football with great power and zip. He seemed to feel very comfortable with five and seven-step drops and certainly looked the part standing in the pocket. Rising Camden County ninth grade signal caller John Jones also looked sharp. A hometown prospect who ran the fastest forty yard dash time of his career at the combine, there was a definite buzz around his potential.   

Coaches worked for close to four hours with prospects from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Players were split into positional groupings after a collection of streamlined workouts. Awards were given after the practice sessions.

Locals Dundee and Wilson are well-connected and well-established names in south Georgia and north Florida, tutoring prospects through the Explosive Sports Training platform. For more information, visit ExplosiveSports.info.