Top Football Players Series: Wide receiver, Brian Dillard, TFA

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This is the fourth of a seven-part series that will take a look at the top players at each position among the Orlando area’s high school football teams, with spring practices already underway. Today we focus on the wide receivers:

Brian Dillard, senior, The First Academy

Brian Dillard can do many things and do them all well. He split time at quarterback with standout AJ Chung when he was a sophomore at West Orange, before transferring to TFA last year. When not at QB, he was catching passes or earning snaps at running back or at wildcat. He can also play defensive back.

When he got to TFA, the Royals already had quarterbacks, as well, and they also had receivers and defensive backs. So head coach Jeff Conaway had the task of getting one of the best football players on his team in the right place on the field.

“Brian is extremely intelligent, he is extremely versatile and he is very explosive,” Conaway said. “Intelligence allows him to learn and participate in more than one position on the field. He can play inside receiver, he can play outside, we can put him at running back, he can play quarterback for us and the same is true on the defensive side of the ball.”

If he had his preference, Dillard would be a full-time quarterback. His size, however, helps dictate where coaches want him to play. He’s listed at 6-foot, and he gained 10 pounds this offseason so he is now 165 pounds.

Then there is his speed. He’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger as he heads into his senior season and just recently he ran 10.8-seconds in the 100 meters on the track team. It’s that kind of explosiveness off the burst and his ability to make quick cuts in his routes that makes him a terrific receiver. He also has great hands.

“His added size and strength and speed gives him so much more confidence and makes him so much more comfortable doing some of the things we were asking him to do last season,” Conaway said. “That’s why he’s a top receiver.”

Conaway has had the task of keeping the wannabe quarterback happy, but as Dillard finds success at receiver, his comfort level will likely continue to rise.

“We have conversations about it, and he’s a guy who absolutely can be a very, very good high school quarterback,” Conaway said. “He can also be a very, very good high school receiver and DB, and so we’re trying to take care of Brian Dillard, and we’re also trying to create the best football team and the best offense and defense that we can develop.

“He knows that and he understands that and he’s willing to do what’s best for the team.”

TFA used him all over last season. He took the most snaps at quarterback and completed 60% of his passes (53-of-89) for 839 yards and 11 touchdowns. At receiver, he caught 13 balls for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

TFA looks to be set with its quarterback of the future in star freshman Anthony “AJ” Woods in his second varsity season, but the Royals graduated their top two receivers from a year ago.

Dillard was running circles around opposing DBs during offseason camps, and his skill set is quite obvious.

“With spring ball and summer and early fall, we’ll figure out the pieces that we need him to be a part of and we’ll figure out exactly where he needs to play and bring the most value to our team,” Conaway said. “It’s a good problem to have.”

Other top Orlando wide receivers

Magnus Talma, senior, Bishop Moore

Talma is an extremely gifted, yet deceptive receiver who has made huge strides in every season he’s played varsity. The deception comes in his speed. The 6-0, 175-pound Talma doesn’t necessarily look like a burner, but he is constantly beating receivers and turning on the jets. He is part of Bishop Moore’s state-championship contending 4X100-meter relay team, along with fellow rising senior receiver and speedster Matthew Sullivan. Talma caught 37 passes last year for 818 yards and seven touchdowns. He committed to Boston College on Thursday.

Jordan Donahoo, senior, Oviedo

Donahoo shared the limelight with Oviedo senior Dashon Febres for much of his junior season last year, but this should be his breakout year. College coaches are already swarming. They love his size, at 6-4, 200 pounds, and his ability to catch the ball in traffic. Donahoo caught 34 passes for 627 yards and five touchdowns last year.

Yuto Yawamura-Johnson, senior, West Orange

Yawamura-Johnson emerged on the scene last year when the New Orleans-born receiver moved from Japan to live with his aunt in Winter Garden. The cousin of former West Orange star Garrett Johnson, who played at Kentucky, and Agape Christian star Drico Johnson, who played at UCF, made an immediate impact. He led the Warriors in receiving with 50 catches for 766 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he also ran the ball 11 times for 95 yards and three more touchdowns.

Cole Emanuel, senior, Edgewater

There might not be a more fluid receiver with keen stop-start skills in Central Florida than Emanuel. He’s little at 5-8, 150 pounds, but he will burn any defensive back caught on his heels. Emanuel can cut on a dime, and he can fly. He also has great hands and led Edgewater in receiving as a junior with 57 catches for 709 yards and four touchdowns.

Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays.

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