AUBURN -- Collins Hill came in a man down but it didn’t matter. The Gwinnett County, Ga., powerhouse won all 10 of its games including a 39-6 win over Center Hill from Olive Branch, Miss., in the championship game of Auburn’s 7-on-7 passing camp.
Wyatt came up big on offense and defense.
With their starting quarterback injured, Collins Hill head coach Kevin Reach had to turn to backup Conner Wallace for the 2-day camp.
“We found out about it a couple of days ago and we said, ‘Well, you’re only as good as your backup quarterback so let’s see how good our backup quarterback is,’” Reach said. “He did a great job. He stepped up and made all the right plays.”
Many of Wallace’s passes ended up up in the hands of Justin Wyatt, who is a standout at both receiver and outside linebacker for the Eagles.
Wyatt, who has offers from Cincinnati, Ohio and Troy, enjoyed playing the championship game in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“I love this field,” Wyatt said. “One day, I might play against them or play here. I got a little taste of the big stage.”
ATHLETE GETS BIG NEWS BEFORE CAMP: 2-star athlete Jevontey Smith from Greensboro (Ala.) High received some big news as he was driving to Auburn for the team camp when he picked up his first offer from Middle Tennessee State.
“It was like my heart stopped, getting my first offer,” Smith said. “I’ve ben working hard for two years and it’s finally paid off.”
Smith, 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds, is receiving interest from several SEC schools including Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi State. He attended an Auburn Junior Day earlier this year and most of Auburn’s home games last fall.
Herndon is a prospect to watch for 2014.
“I like Auburn,” he said. “I like the academics and the student academic center. I love the atmosphere.”
Smith thinks his next offer could come from Tennessee when he camps there Monday. He plans to take his time with a decision.
JUNIOR TE BURSTS ONTO THE SCENE: 2014 tight end Chris Herndon didn’t come into Auburn’s camp with a lot of recruiting hype but left a very good impression on anyone that watched the 6-foot-4 and 218-pounder in action.
Herndon, who is also a standout basketball player, is versatile enough to play backup quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker for Meadowcreek. He attended a game at Georgia Tech last fall and the Yellow Jackets are one of his early favorites. He was also impressed with his first visit to Auburn.
“The ride here was short, it was about two hours. When I got here, I automatically liked the campus because the way it looks,” Herndon said. “I really like the football team. My visit was good.”
COLUMBIA LINEMEN DOMINATE: Auburn’s team camp also included offensive and defensive linemen and the big guys from Columbia High School in Decatur, Ga., put together a dominating two days.
Terronne Prescod, a 2014 prospect, won the offensive line MVP award, just beating out his teammate, Eric Smith.
“The Auburn camp was very competitive,” Prescod said. “I learned a lot of new stuff and I’m going to try to apply it to everyday life and football.
“I really like Auburn. I would like to come here one day and play for them.”
Both had an opportunity to work with Auburn offensive line coach Jeff Grimes.
“Coach Grimes came to many of our drills because I believe our school showed out. He critiqued our techniques and said we did good,” Smith said. “I had a great experience here at Auburn.”
On the other side of the ball, Mackendy Cheridor won the defensive line MVP award.
“It was my first camp of my whole life and I enjoyed it,” Cheridor said. “I learned some valuable lessons and I just have to get better. The camp was great. That’s all I can say. It was great.”
- Bryan Matthews
- Auburn Insider - AuburnUndercover