This past weekend On Top Athletics put together their fifth annual exposure camp out at Friendship Christian School in Lebanon, Tennessee. This year‘s camp was probably the best one to date due to great weather and abundance of athletes coming from all other the southern region.
I had a chance to catch up with the founders of OTA Coach Jobe and Coach Thompson after the camp and asked them what they thought about this years training. Jobe was happy with the turnout that brought out over 150 kids coming to show what they can do, while Thompson was impressed with the quality of the overall camp and the great coaches they had coaching up the young men.
This year like in the past they awarded different positions. Past winners have been kids like Cade Chambers out of Maryville who will be attending Indiana State, Sammy Taylor out of Franklin Road Academy who’ll be attending Missouri Western State University, and Joby Jaggers our of Caldwell County (KY) who is now attending Murray State University at the quarterback position. Who were this years top players that we plan on keeping an eye on going into the summer and fall?
Jarod Russell, 2021, out of Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee took home the top offensive lineman award for the day. Russell who currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky University is quietly flying under the radar but will continue to gain traction as universities and programs see this young man in action. Big, strong, and athletic best describes Jarod with a mean streak that is needed to effectively play on the offensive line.
Jaylen Moody, 2021, out of Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee took home the top defense of lineman award this year. A bit small in stature, 5’9, 230lbs, this young man definitely made a name for himself last weekend by dominating his opponents in one on one drills. His low center of gravity allows him to maneuver around the opposition with enough power and instinct to really make some noise. Moody can play the end and tackle position on the defensive side of the ball, this makes him a match up nightmare come this fall.
Andrew Jackson, 2021, out of BlackmanHigh School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee took home the top running back position. Jackson who won top running back last year came back to regain his throne yet again this year. His shiftiness, quickness and catching out of the backfield makes Andrew an elite back for Blackman. There were several times last weekend where Jackson competed one on one against defensive backs and could not be stopped in regards to pitch and catch. His route running and great hands allowed him to win an overwhelming majority of his reps.
Lennon Ries, 2022, out of Russellville High School in Kentucky took home top honors at the quarterback position. This 6’1 former wide receiver turned quarterback for the Panthers of Russellville HS in 2019 turned heads with his passing ability. It is always hard to come in to a camp and pass with receivers you’ve never worked out with, however for Lennon he made the transition effortless completing 20 of 23 throws in one on ones between receivers and defensive backs. Ries displayed a very strong arm in addition to being athletic will be a Kentucky high school football name you should get to know.
Dajhon “DJ” Smith, 2021, out of Milan High School in Milan, Tennessee took home the top defensive back award. This 6’2, 180 lbs athlete was definitely one of the more impressive prospects at the entire camp. His long frame, quickness, and speed made him a nightmare for receivers he covered during the camp. My take away from Smith is his make up speed. Often times during the camp it seemed like he was baiting quarterbacks into throwing at him before he kicked in a second gear to eventually knock the ball down and break up the play. University Tennessee Martin and Austin Peay have already taken notice of Smith with offers. Going into the summer he should continue to gain momentum and receive more attention from programs. We will definitely be keeping an eye on his next few months.
Trey Harris, 2021, out of Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee took home the top linebacker award. This 6’1, 205lbs, middle linebacker definitely took a step in the right direction in regards to making a name for himself at the camp. Trey looked very good in his individual drills portion of the camp. I was really impressed with his coverage skills that are highly needed to play that middle linebacker position that he holds down for the Cougars of Middle Tennessee Christian. He is backpedaling motion and transition of turning his hips with his acceleration of being able to get from sideline to sideline was the key factor in him bringing home the award. Harris who also plays tight end, demonstrated having more than capable hands to also intercept the quarterback if the ball is thrown in his area. This exposure camp definitely helped him in competing against other top talent in the region. With a good showing in May at the college recruitment camp, Harris has an opportunity to walk away with some interest from college programs.
Jeremiah Bailey, 2022, out of Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tennessee took home the Young Gun Award. Where to start with this young man? His size alone for a 16 year old kid is enough to garner attention from college coaches across the nation! 6’3, 240lbs, playing the defensive end position is going to definitely earn this young man a free education and a chance to play at the next level. Bailey who currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky University and Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee stood out as the most dominant and opposing lineman at the entire camp. Standing up or hand in the dirt, Bailey was simply disruptive. This rising junior had great power and explosiveness coming off the line, coupled with being able to dip low enough to get up under the offensive lineman or drive them back with brute strength to get the quarterback. His height at 6’3 and jumping ability limits the opportunities for opposing quarterbacks to throw in his direction. This young man will be attracting attention from several power five schools within the next few months, book it.
TJ Tate, 2021, out of Germantown High School out of Memphis, Tennessee took home the Overall Camp MVP. Tate who is a dual threat quarterback for the Red Devils had himself a solid camp and outing. He was last years Top Quarterback Award recipient and came back for more this year. Standing at 6’3, 175lbs, Tate win this years award based on his overall skill set and leadership attributes throughout the camp. This left handed flame thrower displayed pin point accurate passing, whether it was standing still in the pocket or being on the run. He has a big senior season ahead of him, a new head coach, and an opportunity to really solidify himself as one of the top quarterbacks out of West Tennessee. His Devils went 2-9 last year and we believe with another year under his belt they can improve upon last years record. His off-season training and development will definitely help towards the greater good for the Red Devils come this fall.
Dylan Gibson, 2021, from George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky took home the Top Tight End Award. Gibson has a massive physical structure, standing at 6’3 and a little over 230lbs I found him to be quite impressive with his agility, speed, range of motion, and exceptional catching ability. They were often times during the camp he lined up opposite of defensive backs and surprisingly got behind them due to his elusive speed or precision route running. He definitely earned the respect of the defensive players covering him, even frustrating some of them due to him winning several of his 1 on 1’s. Gibson is a match up nightmare, lining him up on the end he can stretch the field and find a soft spot for the quarterback to deliver or with his size can block an open holes up for the back out of the backfield. I had a chance to catch up with Coach Jobe after the camp and asked him about Gibson and what he thought about him? Jobes response was, “that kid can play”. “He’s right up there in Kentucky in the backyard of Eastern Kentucky University and Murray State, them coaches need to check him (Gibson) out” Jobe responded. We at D1Highlights are looking forward to seeing him compete in May at the Recruitment Camp with other top athletes.
Ezra Widelock, 2021, out of Wilson Central High School in Lebanon, Tennessee was awarded Top Wide Receiver. This All Region 4–6A wideout put on a show at the camp. Standing at 5’8, 165lbs, Ezra has all of the necessary tools needed to be an impact player. Speed, shiftiness, acceleration, catching, and route running were all on display. In fact, Coach Jobe tweeted out after the camp that Widelock was the “best route runner at the camp”. One of the things I enjoyed about watching him was his “no back down demeanor”. It did not matter who he lined up against, his route running and elusiveness coupled with his speed made him elite. There have been often times that college programs don’t give a chance to players based off of their measurements. In this case, Ezra is a name that they need to make an exception for and check him out.
This year‘s camp was nothing short of extraordinary with so many different athletes across the region coming to compete against one another. We are gearing up for the big recruitment camp in May as OTA is expecting well over 200 kids coming from across the country. This will be an opportunity for college programs to come and see firsthand the talent at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
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