CLEMSON – As a school that many players dream to attend and play sports at, Clemson provides many opportunities for young players and scholars to get involved and spread their name around. The Dabo Swinney Football Camp, which was just held in the Tigers’ football facility, is one of the greatest places for players in grade school to train and learn.

One of those players who attended camp was Duke Collins, a rising sophomore and football player at Steven County High School in Toccoa, Georgia. Despite being a Georgia native, his loyalty to the Tigers has never wavered. A defensive back/wide receiver at his high school, his history in football runs deep.

“Eight years,” Collins told The Clemson Insider when asked how long he’s played the sport. “I thought it was really cool. You get on the field, and it just takes over you…it made me want to play even more.”

As a camp attendee since ninth grade, Collins falls in love with it every year, and attending makes him want to go back again the next year. On top of that, he also learns a lot; this year was no exception.

“What Dabo said, some things might not go your way in life, but you just have to fight through it and keep on going,” Collins said.

After high school, Collins hopes to go to college and play football. When asked about where he would go if he had a chance to play at his dream school, Clemson was his undoubted answer. Through everything, Collins admitted that his biggest supporter is God, and he relies on his relationship with God in all that he does:

“I keep God in everything I do,” he said. “He leads me through the right path and helps me do everything I’m supposed to do, so I can’t thank him more than enough for that.”

Now, Collins sets his sights on more offseason camps, including trips to Georgia State and the Peach State Gridiron Classic Combine, where he looks to improve and continue to try and make his dream of playing at Clemson University one day in the future a reality.

Photo courtesy of Duke Collins on X (formerly known as Twitter)