Jonesboro Hodge Host Third Gridiron Football Elite Camp

After South Louisiana showed us their skills at the first two camps, the Gridiron Football staff made the three-hour trip up to North Louisiana in Jonesboro, Louisiana as Jonesboro Hodge High School hosted the third Elite Camp of 2023 this past Saturday.

Jonesboro Hodge High School head coach Terrance Blankenship raved about Gridiron Football giving an opportunity for players to showcase their talents while being promoted on a national scale.

“It’s great! I want to thank Andy, Jace, and the entire Gridiron Football staff for giving Jonesboro Hodge the opportunity to use our facility and showcase not only my kids, but kids from other areas that come out here. It will also give the kids the opportunity to follow Gridiron Football. It’s a great opportunity to earn an invite to the bowl game at the end of the season. If anybody is seeing this, please get all of your information from Gridiron Football.”

Jonesboro Hodge High School Head Coach Terrance Blankenship

The Gridiron Football staff cannot appreciate Coach Blankenship and his staff enough for helping put on another outstanding camp that featured a lot of standout performers.

At the beginning of the camp, Gridiron Football CEO Andy Bryson gave the 32 campers a great pre-camp speech about what it means to come out on a Saturday morning during the offseason and to put the extra work in. He also talked about the mission of Gridiron Football and why the company does what it does, which is to help the younger generation of players excel and have an opportunity to not only play football in college, but to graduate.

In speaking of setting up players for success, the first part of the camp is the combine, and that first section gives campers experience in running the 40-yard dash, shuttle, and also in jumping the broad jump. The best college football players in the nation all have to participate in these three events for the NFL Combine so partaking in these events at an early age only gives them even more experience while doing them. All players had their 40’s and shuttle runs recorded and emailed to them so they can go back and coach themselves up so they can improve on those numbers the next time they participate in those events.

Starting with the 40-yard dash, eight players ran in the four second zone led by Center High School (TX) 2024 RB Kaden Dixon, who ran a 4.59. Other notable times included Jonesboro Hodge High School 2024 WR/CB Kalep Atkins (4.7), Bolton High School 2025 QB James Lucas IV (4.78), Bolton High School 2024 S LaTavion Bullitts (4.82), and Bolton High School 2025 LB/WR Antoine Bullitts (4.87). I would also be remiss if I did not include two of the big guys as Rosepine High School 2024 OL Blaine Savoie ran an impressive 5.0/40 and Jonesboro Hodge High School 2025 OL/DL Ken’Wuan Atkins ran a 5.19

The shuttle run provided some of the best times that we have seen since our first camp at Woodlawn High School. James Lucas IV, who has improved his numbers from the Woodlawn camp to the St. Edmund camp, continued his hot streak by having our fastest shuttle run at any of our camps this year with a 4.07 time. Kaden Dixon was right behind Lucas with a 4.14 time. Antoine and LaTavion Bullitts also ran in the 4.3 second zone.

After having the best broad jump at the St. Edmund camp, James Lucas IV improved his broad jump numbers even more by jumping a 9’8 3/4 jump, but that still was not the best jump of the day. Kaden Dixon was flirting with the 10 foot mark by having his two jumps at 9’11. Behind them making explosive jumps are Jonesboro Hodge High School 2024 WR Jordan Dill (9’4 1/2), Jonesboro Hodge High School 2024 WR/CB Kalep Atkins (8’10 1/2), Jonesboro Hodge High School 2025 WR Christian McGuire (8’8), Jonesboro Hodge High School 2026 QB/SS Dakota Knox (8’7 1/2), Antoine Bullitts (8’7), Jonesboro Hodge High School 2027 ATH Tysen Burks (8’4), Jonesboro Hodge High School 2026 RB/LB Landon Boston (8’4 1/2), and Holy Savior Menard High School 2026 QB/LB Jake Vaughan (8’4).

After the players went on to go to their position groups doing drills, it was time for some competition as the offensive linemen went against the defensive linemen on 1 on 1s while the wide receivers battled the defensive backs also on 1 on 1s before ending the camp with a 7 on 7.

When the dust cleared at the end of the camp, the staff offered a couple of players to the Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game.

At the conclusion of the camp, five players were chosen to be invited to take part in the Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game. Based on their performances in the combine and in competition, East Beauregard High School 2024 OL Andy Burnaman, Holy Savior Menard High School 2024 OL Braylon Dusang, James Lucas IV, Kaden Dixon, and Blaine Savoie were all invited to participate in this year’s Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game.

There will be more players from this camp and the other camps that will be invited to play in our prestigious bowl game at the end of the year so keep posted with all of the latest invites on our website at www.gridironfootballusa.com.

If you are a player that is between 7th-12th grade and wants to get on our Gridiron Football radar, make sure to sign up to our next camp, which will be held at Rayville High School on Saturday, April 22nd.

Check out all of our camp videos below:

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Check out all of our interviews from the Gridiron Football Elite Camp at Jonesboro Hodge High School below: