Born 2 Compete Showcase Best of the Best
The inaugural Born 2 Compete Showcase took place February 19th at Milton High School in Milton, GA. Some of the top players from the class of 2026 and 2027 showed off their skills in front of a sold out crowd, featuring media members from Deuce Recruiting, On3 and 247Sports. Coach Gary Downs took note of the best of the best.
The camp kicked off with height and weight measurements, alongside the 40 yard dash and shuttle run. Warner Robins’ Austin Stintson, a class of 2027 wide receiver took home the crown of fastest man, running a 4.60 40 yard dash. Alec Upshaw, a class of 2026 linebacker from Calhoun, showed great speed for his position, finishing in the top 3 of the fastest man competition. Milton class of 2026 wide receiver and tight end Grant Haviland impressed with his combination of size and speed. Haviland measured in at 6’3 and showed impressive agility in the shuttle run. He backed up his measurements with some great play, “catching the ball with ease.” Calvin Brooks, a class of 2027 offensive linement from Gaffney, SC stood out thanks to his massive size (6’3.5 and 300 lbs) and great play.
The offense put on a show. Kade Wiggington from South Paulding took home MVP for the quarterbacks, and “had a stellar day spinning it.” Wigginton is one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in his class, and the Douglasville, GA signal caller boosted his stock in a big way at the showcase. On the other end, Sebastian Easly from North Cobb was “easily” the best receiver of the bunch. Easly was praised for excellent hands and athleticism. On the ground, Jakeyvion Parker of Macon County, GA won runningback MVP. Parker’s defining traits were “excellent twitch and power”. Downs said, “he can really put his foot in the ground.” Another runningback highlighted was Jacob Jackson of Summit Hill. Jackson’s athleticism turned heads, but perhaps even more impressive was his competitive spirit. Paving the way in the trenches was Bear McWhorter, offensive line MVP. The Cass High School freshman dominated in 1 vs 1 drills and showcased impressive agility for his size. The aforementioned Calvin Brooks and Austin Honie of Lakeside Augusta flashed in the trenches.
On the other side of the ball, Christian “Pancake” Hunter took home top honors for defensive linemen, winning MVP. Hunter stacked up big play after big play and displayed a great motor. Downs described Hunter as someone that “loves to play ball.” The GA linemen was also recently named 8th grade player of the year by Born 2 Compete. The strongest group on defense was the linebackers. Perry, GA’s Jaiden Coleman won MVP, and was “athletic and physical all day.” Alongside Coleman, the biggest standouts were David Jenkins from Blessed Trinity, GA, Noah Lavelle from Walton, GA and Trey Thompon from Houston County, GA. Deronte “Speedy” Broughton won MVP honors for defensive backs. The Buford freshman lived up to his nickname, flying around the field all day long. Finally, the Road Warrior award went to defensive back Demari Clemmons, who came all the way from Buffalo, NY.
Any time top players come together to compete, it brings out the best in them. The first Born 2 Compete Showcase brought in some top talent, who exceeded expectations. As the weather starts to warm up and the start of football practices slowly start to get closer, the competition will also continue to heat up.
