In terms of pure raw explosion, there is not many athletes in the class of 2021 that pound for pound share the same strength that Paxton Corkery out of Jefferson possesses. The linebacker/fullback for Jefferson literally pops on film, and watching him make an open field tackle where he explodes through the tackle sending the ball carrier straight back is something to behold.
Once the Coronavirus hit this offseason, the senior’s all gas, no breaks mentality had to adjust to our new reality, so we asked Corkey how has adapted to life during a global pandemic.
“Corona has definitely made things more challenging, but I was able to finish with a 4.0 for the last semester of school, which was mostly through online learning from home.” Corkery continued, “My workouts have thankfully been able to stay consistent. I have been training at 180 Sports Performance since early this year, and even during lockdown, I was able to go to my trainers basement, and get some small group lifting, and speed training with a few college athletes.”
Corkey is definitely an impressively strong athlete, showcasing lifts like a 545 squat, a 345 bench and a 345 power clean too. From our experience, players with similar weight lifting ratios at that weight were some of the more explosive players in their class, and on film, that raw power translates.
“If I had to name a biggest strength it would have to be my physical strength. I’ve been blessed with god given talent in that area,” Corkery said.
Corkery is also a heavy lifter with the books, sporting a 3.7 GPA prior to the semester’s end, and with the 4.0 finish this semester, Corkery is really cementing himself as a high-academic recruiting target. So it was not a big surprise to hear about which schools were keeping tabs on the 2021 student-athlete.
“I have been in contact with multiple schools. Including Yale, Wake Forest, Berry, Centre, West Georgia and multiple others,” he said.
Corkery has now two years of varsity starting experience now under his belt, and nearly 150 tackles in the process, but last fall he faced some physical adversity for the first time in his life. He broke it down for us.
“My biggest weakness this past year was honestly getting in my own head. I suffered multiple injuries last season for the first time in my career. A broken hand against Denmark in our scrimmage game had me in a club for our first 5 games so I was not at 100%, as well as broken ribs that took me out for 2 games mid season and had me in a flack jacket for the three games following.”
Corkery continued, “Dealing with those injuries was a struggle for me because I had to take a different role on the team. I’m the type of player who thinks if I’m not in on the tackle on every play that I am not playing my best game. With the injuries I had to realize it was more important for me to do my job and cover my responsibilities.”
Going back to last season scouting the state, and Corkery was one of those athletes that we watched, and immediately wrote his name down. Knowing about his injuries now just really highlights how tough of a competitor that he truly is. Corkery also has solid speed, but his acceleration allows him to close the gap quickly, all while keeping his pads parallel to the line of scrimmage so that he gets a clean tackle on the ball carrier.
His 2019 film shows good straight line athleticism, but his lateral quickness could use some additional work – that’s why his next answer was nothing but pure gold.
“My improvements this offseason have been huge. If I had to name a top one it would definitely be my speed and change of direction. The difference from last season to now is night and day in that aspect.”
A quicker and faster Corkery? Sign us up. That really sets the expectations going into the 2020 season for some major production on both sides of the football for the Jefferson standout.
With it being his last season of football up ahead (go away Covid-19), Corkery talked about his expectations for both his team and individually.
“For this upcoming fall, I have multiple goals, both team and personal. As a senior I want to win state. I know how much it would mean to my teammates and coaches to bring the title back to Jefferson and it would feel amazing to do so. As an individual, I am going to make All-State honors, and I want to lead our team in tackles.”
Those are certainly some lofty goals, but honestly, attainable. Jefferson has been on the precipice of a special season, and Corkery to go along with his teammates are a very talented bunch. From all accounts, it sounds like a healthy Corkery is pretty much a lock to lead his team in tackles, and he is most definitely on our preaseason All-State watchlist.
On the recruiting front, his early season film will be key for college programs – with there being no camps or spring practice, the first 3-4 weeks of the high school season will be condensed into the biggest evaluation period in the history of college football recruiting, and that’s great news for seniors like Corkery who still looking to make that recruiting splash, so stay tuned to @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter to hear the latest on the Jefferson athlete and how his senior year progresses.
Interested in recruiting Paxton Corkery? Click HERE to visit his Recruit Georgia profile.
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