Irish CB Target Joe Wilkins Jr. Focusing On Defense During Senior Season
North Fort Myers (Fla.) High athlete Joe Wilkins Jr. has spent most of his high school career playing wide receiver, but it looks like that’s going to change during his final year of high school.
During his junior season, Wilkins started landing offers to play cornerback in college, so that has become the focus as he starts his senior season.
“Now that I’m starting to get offers at defensive back, my coaches are starting to keep me on defense a little bit more,” Wilkins said. “Obviously, I’ll still play offense, but they know I’m being recruited at defensive back, so they’re playing me there a little bit more.”
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Wilkins said he’s only been playing corner consistently for about a year, so he has a few things he knows he wants to work on before he heads off to college.
“I plan on making more plays on defense and being a more for-sure tackler,” Wilkins said. “And also leading my team into the postseason.”
That team, North Fort Myers, went 6-3 last year, and Wilkins said the goal for 2017 to wipe those three losses off the board.
To do that, Wilkins and his fellow defenders will have to play perfect ball, which the Florida talent said he believes they are perfectly capable of doing.
“I don’t want my receivers to have one reception throughout the whole game,” Wilkins said. “As a defense, we don’t want to give up over 50 yards receiving, and we need to win out our district.”
Obviously, Wilkins has lofty goals for his senior season.
The biggest help along the way will undoubtedly be the teachings of head coach Earnest Graham, a former Florida Gators standout and eight-year NFL veteran.
Wilkins said the opportunity to learn under Graham has been huge for his development both as a football player and a person.
“It’s awesome,” Wilkins said. “Having him is definitely a blessing in my life and he’s really helped me out, especially with recruiting and developing me as a young man. He’s a role model to”
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