More Central Georgia signings: Dexter Williams, Amaad Foston, Daveon Walker, Willie Harris (and CGA alums in portal)
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
The Central Georgia contingent at Georgia Southern grew by another one, as expected, on Thursday with the signing of former Mount de Sales quarterback Dexter Williams II.
Williams was one of several Central Georgians noted on Dec. 5 by The Sports Report who were in the portal. Soon after, he committed to Georgia Southern.
He entered the portal in late November, just after head coach Tom Allen was fired.
Williams suffered an ACL injury during spring practice as a redshirt freshman, battled back into consideration for playing time only to suffer another ACL injury a week after his first career start, at the end of the 2022 season.
The Hoosiers had issues with healthy quarterbacks going into the 2023 season, including Williams. He was cleared in the middle of the season, but didn’t play.
Williams played in four games in four years at Indiana, rushing 40 times for 165 times and a score, and completing 13 of 38 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
John Milledge’s Amaad Foston knows how Williams feels, his college career sidetracked by injuries.
Foston isn’t moving far, going from Virginia in Charlottesville to Hampton University, an HBCU in
Hampton, Va., a little more than two hours away.
Hampton is a member of the CAA, and went 5-6 last season.
Foston played in only four games, all in 2023, since arriving in 2021.
His high school career ended in epic style, in his junior year, running 42 times for 423 yards and eight touchdowns in the Trojans’ 62-19 win over Valwood in the 2019 GISA Class AAA title game.
He suffered a knee injury that was thought to only delay the start of his senior season, but he ended up not playing. Still, the Trojans rolled to a state title again, and still, Foston’s recruiting hardly suffered, and he enrolled early at Virginia.
He was redshirted, then suffered an ACL injury, taking care of his first two years at Virginia.
Florida A&M added former Warner Robins wideout Daveon Walker, transferring from Vanderbilt. He played in one game at Vandy in two seasons.
Bleckley County’s Willie Harris followed Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb to East Tennessee State, in the Southern Conference with Mercer.
The 6-1, 280-pound defensive lineman played in 31 games at Gardner-Webb, with 53 tackles, 17.5 for loss, and 9.5 sacks.
Among the others from Central Georgia in the portal: TE Dae’Quan Wright, Perry, from Virginia Tech; WR Bryce Bailey, Bleckley County, from Middle Tennessee; WR Damare Franklin, Veterans, from Alcorn State; DB Talique Allen, Peach County, from Western Kentucky; WR Zion Odoms, Northeast, from Marshall (was not on the 2023 roster, didn’t play in 2022); WR Deuce Petty, Warner Robins, from Tuskegee