Orangemen, Spartans in on Florida ATH

Junior to Watch: George Timmons

School: Lake City (Fla.) Columbia HS

Position: Athlete

Size and speed: Timmons is 6-foot-2, weighs 180 pounds, and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. He also boasts a 38-inch vertical jump.

Statistics: As a junior, he carried the ball 64 times for 680 yards, averaging 10.6 per rush, and scored nine touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns.

Favorite Schools: Miami, Florida, Florida State, Syracuse, Auburn.

Skinny: Long, lean and extremely quick, Lake City Columbia’s George Timmons is one of the Sunshine State’s most versatile athletes to watch for the Class of 2004.

Timmons (6-2, 180, 4.37) has played running back, receiver and defensive back in his prep career. He continued with the jack-of-all-trades theme last season, rushing for 680 yards and nine touchdowns on only 64 carries while hauling in 17 passes for 207 yards and three scores.

“We’ve had him all over the field since his sophomore year,” Lake City Columbia coach Danny Green said. “He’s just real versatile. He could play any number of spots at the next level, but I feel like he’s offensive-minded. He’s got real nice hands, catches the ball real well when we put him out in the slot. He’s very good on returns, too. He’s so dangerous, we try to be as creative as possible and get the ball in his hands as many times a game as we can.”

Schools showing early interest in Timmons include Miami, Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Michigan State, Syracuse and Central Florida, among others. The Orangemen may be close to offering a scholarship, Green noted, and the Spartans are also showing heavy interest.

“I think the thing coaches like most about him is his frame combined with the great speed,” Green said. “They see him with the potential to play at over 200 pounds and still run like that.”

Academically, he maintains a 2.3 GPA in the core and has scored a 16 on his first ACT attempt.

“He needs to bump those up, but he should be OK,” Green said.