Each year more than ten thousand Georgia High School student will strap on pads with the goal of playing high school football. Fifty-nine percent of those players believe that they will get a college scholarship. However, a U.S. Department of Education report found that one out of a hundred student athletes will be offered any kind of Division I scholarship. Ninety out of 100 high school athletes will never play any collegiate sports and one out of 16,000 high school athletes will make a living in professional sports.
If you have the God-given ability and the drive to push yourself to be the best on the field and in the classroom, and you add in a little luck, you might have the chance to play on Saturday’s biggest stages.
The three underclassman profiled share all of the above qualities in addition to providing major leadership roles for their teams. It doesn’t hurt that Liberty County Panthers freshman Richard LeCounte’s safety position is six yards behind all-everything linebacker Raekwon McMillan. Ware County sophomore running back/linebacker Dedrick Mills was given an opportunity to prove himself as a freshman and ended up an integral part of the Gators run to the title game and also became the only freshman named to the All-Region team. Camden running back/defense back Antonio Wimbush knows about big-time recruiting on his own, but also from the experiences of Alabama signees Chris Williams and Kalavarez Bessent.
Meet three players whose names will light up recruiting message boards and continue the proud tradition of southeast Georgia products impacting major college football programs.
Class of 2017
Richard LeCounte
Liberty County High School
6’0″, 185 pounds
Freshman, S/RB
Coach: Kirk Warner
Scholarship Offers: Florida, University of Georgia, Ohio State University, Alabama, Clemson, Cincinatti, Akron, Georgia Southern
Parents: Richard and Erica LeCounte
2013 Statistics: Playing JV as an eighth-grader gave him a head start to his freshman year. 4.5 40-yard dash. Started every game for the Panthers playing on both sides of the ball and returning kicks. 89 tackles (59 solo), five interceptions (30-yard average), 1280 total yards and five touchdowns. 11 receptions/203 yards/2 TDs; 21 carries/192 yards;407 kick ret yards; 324 punt return yards/three TDs
Bench: 180
Squat: 245
Power Clean: 110
If you haven’t seen LeCounte’s YouTube highlight reel stop reading now and pull it up. The footage had 300k hits on Yahoo! Sports. Though McMillan is the obvious prize for scouts and recruiters, there were enough stories floating around about Lecounte, who played junior varsity as an eighth-grader, to whet any recruiter’s appetite.
If you missed the You Tube video, you might have seen LeCounte in Sports Illustrated’s September 30 issue of Faces in the Crowd.
LeCounte has generated a lot of his own press during his first full year of varsity freshman. “Raekwon has been very important to me as a teammate and as a person. He has helped me mature and learn to be a leader and keep my eyes open. He stays on me about my school work. He is my big brother. Being able to help him achieve the goal of the getting back to the playoffs was great. We want to keep building this program and holding ourselves to a higher standard,” LeCounte says.
LeCounte, who turned 15 years old September 11 and is considered the leading contender for the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year and was one of fifty freshman players nationwide selected to the inaugural U.S. Army All-American Freshman game, played on January 5, 2014 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“It’s actually harder for these freshman players to make it than the older players because we only have 50 slots for this first freshman game. We found Richard by way of Raekwon and then we saw the YouTube highlight reel and then he started setting himself a part,” U.S. All-American Bowl player director Eric Richards says.
Richards certainly knows talent. The camps he has put on through Football University all over the United States has an amazing list of alumni who are visible in the SEC and other major conferences along with the NFL on Sunday.
“Richard has an amazing amount of raw talent. You have to remember that he turned 15 years old two months ago. His ability to make plays is natural talent. Once he starts to refine his technique and the technical skill and athletic ability merges, his future is unlimited,” Richards says.
The U.S. Army Freshman All-American game will give Richards a chance to see where LeCounte will be measured against the best of the best in his age group. LeCounte will get a chance to play with LSU Lab High School freshman quarterback Dylan Moses, who as a freshman is already committed to his hometown LSU Tigers as an eighth-grader.
“We will look at the race for freshman of the year towards the end of the season as everything winds down but Richard has certainly distinguished himself in first season of varsity football,” MaxPreps Stephen Spiewak says.
LeCounte, is going to be one of the most anticipated recruits up until he signs a letter of intent his senior year, but he also knows that he has been blessed with natural ability and he has to work hard, if not harder, than his teammates. He has learned valuable leadership skills that will help him on and off the field from mentor and teammate McMillan.
“Richard is by far the best freshman that I have ever played with. On the field, [he’s] a ball hawking safety that I can count on when we need a play. Off the field, he is my little brother who I would try to do anything for. I have taken him under my wing and I expect him to keep leading this to bigger and better things, but most of all I love him to death,” McMillan says.
All concerned with LeCounte’s athletic future certainly understand that it is unlimited, but as receives the accolades, it is important to stay grounded.
“It is our commitment as coaching staff, school, and community to nurture Richard in his career and to make sure that he stays grounded and achieves his goals through hard work on and off the field,” Liberty County Panthers head football coach Kirk Warner says.
The gridiron wasn’t originally LeCounte’s first love – it was the hardwood. LeCounte has been playing basketball since he was four years old and has played with the AAU teams South Georgia Kings and the Georgia Stars. He will also play for the Panthers basketball this season, and coach Willie Graham expects LeCounte to make an immediate impact on the varsity.
“I’ve always loved basketball and still do, it was my first and favorite sport. Football is still equally important. God has blessed me with ability and just want to be a good example of good things can happen when you work hard at everything,” LeCounte says.
Class of 2016
Dedrick Mills
Ware County High School
6’1″, 205 lbs
Sophomore RB/LB
Coach: Ed Dudley
Parents: Sharon Mills
Schools Interested: Alabama, Georgia, Auburn
2013 Statistics: 4.4 40-yard dash;108 carries for 1,235 yards; 18 TDs; 79 tackles
Bench: 260
Squat: 470
Power Clean: 300
Ware County sophomore Dedrick Mills scored on a 66-yard run on the first play of the second half as the Gators thrashed Bainbridge on Ware County’s first leg of a return trip.
The first year of varsity football under his belt, Mills gained experience that has been invaluable as the Gators finished the 2013 regular season 9-1 and earned a second region 3-AAAAA title.
After a whirlwind freshman year, which ended with a loss in the title game to Gainesville, Mills’ offseason was purposeful and driven. Last spring, as college coaches hunt for future talent, Mills had the watchful eyes of Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart trained on him.
Two years ago, Mills was an eighth-grader and a Rising Star feature for In the Game in May 2012. Mills showed that he had the desire and the raw talent that would help the Gators as a freshman. All he needed was the opportunity.
Ware County head football coach Ed Dudley and his linebackers position coach Shawn Campbell gave him the opportunity he needed. “Dedrick Mills is one of the most talented players I have worked with in the past 30 years. His talent is exceeded only by his love of the game and his teammates. He is on track to be a great player and an even better person. If he continues to grow his character in step with his talent, he has no limits,” Dudley says.
Varsity time for freshman is rare. A freshman who plays in the crux of the defense as a middle linebacker like Mills in almost unheard of. 
“When I was going through my first spring training I was hitting hard and Coach Dudley gave me a chance, which I was so thankful for, and I was able to help the varsity last season. Eric Bernard said come play with me and we were like twins,” Mills says.
Recruiters, coaches, teammates, and fans alike are impressed by the talent of the sophomore linebacker, but few realize how much work goes in before you even have an opportunity to make highlight reel plays like his run against Bainbridge.
“Dedrick Mills is an outstanding person on and off the field. He’s very humble and he never gives up. He’s going to go far in life, just watch,” Ware County teammate Montre Merritt says.
“We have spring training, offseason weights. During summer weight workouts they cut off the air conditioning so we all get sweating really good. Then [in] practices, we are trying to make sure we have correct technique in every drill and get better in every repetition. In the spring, if we aren’t playing another sport, Coach Dudley wants all of us to run track, so that will [help] us be in better condition for football. I plan to lift two times a day during the offseason and summer,” Mills says.
Mills’s freshman season has helped some of his freshman teammates increase their commitment and he has also started to become a vocal leader of the team. “Getting the older guys to listen sometimes is harder but I lead by example. I stay on guys about their grades too because that is important. We are primarily sophomores and juniors as starters and we have bought into Coach Dudley’s philosophy. We hope to win a ring this year but if we don’t our sophomore class is going to be a special group as seniors and our goal is the dome and a ring and we will do everything we possibly can to get it done,” Mills says.
A strong student, Mills is interested in possibly coaching or sports medicine after playing college football.
“I just want to thank God first of all for allowing me to play this game, my mother, my family, my uncles, all of my coaches, and especially Coach Ed Dudley for coaching me to always do the right thing on and off the field and play my hardest,” Mills said.
“I’m so proud of the young man my son is becoming both on and off the field. He works hard everyday, whether it be at school or on the football field. I’m proud of his football accomplishments, but I’m most proud of how he carries himself both on and off the field. He has a good, humble heart and he is good to people. Football is great, but his maturity as a young man makes me prouder than any accomplishments on the field,” says Mills’s mother, Sharon.
Class of 2015
Antonio Wimbush
Camden County High School
6’0″, 185 lbs.
Junior RB/DB
Parents: Jeremy and Wendy Patrick
Colleges Interested: UGA, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ohio State, Tennessee, Illinois, Harvard, Duke, Furman
2013 Statistics: 4.5 40-yard dash;91 carries 571 yards (878 all purpose yards); nine TDs; six receptions/80 yards; 49 tackles. Overall MVP Combine winner last spring. Selected to play in the Rising Seniors Bowl in Atlanta at Grady Stadium in December.
Bench: 345
Squat: 405
Power Clean: 275
Two pillars of a strong character are work ethic and consistency, and Antonio Wimbush is the Rock of Gibraltar when it comes to both.
“Wimbush is the heart and soul of Camden County. On both sides of the ball, he is probably the best [high school] football player on the team and a JJ Green (UGA) clone,” Barry Every, vice president and National Analyst for National Underclassman says.
Last month’s In the Game Player Profile feature cornerback Kalvarez Bessent, and safety Chris Williams, are Alabama commitments. Camden was competitive but Jeff Herron took them to a different level, winning three state championships in the 2000s. Though Herron, now at Prince Avenue Christian, helped build the program, current head coach Welton Coffey has added his own signature to the program, defeating Colquitt for the region title at the end of the 2013 regular season.
“Antonio is a great player, probably the best all-around player on their team. He could probably play all 11 positions if you needed him too,” Herron says. 
Wimbush isn’t just a great player on the field. He is a stellar student in the classroom. Currently, he has a 3.6 and is finishing up his time in the business academy in hope of moving to the engineering academy, which is what he is interested in as a career.
“God has blessed me with an ability to play this game that I love so much, some people have a disability and can’t play. Because I have been given this gift I want to push myself to be the absolute best. I thank every one of my coaches and certainly my parents for sacrificing for me so I can go to camps and the fact that they have instilled in me the importance of hard work,” Wimbush says.
The sheer size of the Camden program doesn’t give freshman a lot of chances to get playing time, and Wimbush certainly didn’t have the spotlight getting limited time returning kicks. But the discipline and athleticism that he displayed led to more playing time and an eventual starting position as a sophomore.
“Antonio is one of the hardest working young men that I have ever been around. Those attributes will help him be successful in anything he does,” Coffey says.
Former Camden County defensive coordinator and current Bradwell Institute head coach Adam Carter also enjoyed his time coaching Wimbush. “[Wimbush is the] hardest working player I have been around, if I had a son I would want him to be just like Antonio,” Carter says.
Though Wimbush is still growing and has speed, he tries to make the most of every drill in practice. Working toward having perfect technique is important to Wimbush and it’s a trait that has certainly not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“He has one of the hardest working players I have played with. His actions are leadership,” Bessent says.
| SE-PS-12.13-Wimbush-Mills-LeCounte Southeast Georgia Edition On the Cover Antonio Wimbush – Camden County Dedrick Mills – Ware County Richard LeCounte – Liberty County Welcome to the future By John Wood Photography Jennifer Carter Johnson |
