Clemson leads for Georgia ATH

Homerville (Ga.) Clinch County athlete Joe Lewis Mingo appears to be on the verge of his first scholarship offers.

“Clemson has been writing me a lot of personal letters, and they say I’m going to get a scholarship,” he said. “I get a lot of stuff from Florida, too. They just sent me something inviting me down to all their home games this year. I’ve got tickets for all of their games.

“I’ve also been getting stuff from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, South Carolina, Florida, Miami and some other schools.”

This summer, he camped at Georgia, Miami and Florida (Nike Camp).

“The coaches at those camps really seemed to like me,” he said. “A lot of them thought I’d do real good at wide receiver.”

Mingo (6-1, 185, 4.55) plays quarterback for Clinch County. He accumulated almost 2,500 yards in total offense and 36 touchdowns as a junior in leading the Panthers to a 15-0 record and the Class A state championship.

On the college level, he’s more likely to play receiver or defensive back, but some schools still like his dual-threat abilities under center.

“Clemson says they think I’m a good fit for their offense, but they also like me at receiver and defensive back,” he said. “I like them the most right now. They have an offense real similar to ours where the quarterback moves around a lot and can hurt you with the run or the pass. They have a good tradition there. I like it because it’s close to home, too.”

Florida is also high on his list.

"I liked the campus and caoches down there," he said. "I had a great time at their camp. I look forward to going down to some of their games this season."

He has not set a timetable for a decision.

Academically, Mingo maintains a 2.9 GPA and will take the SAT in September.