Two John Milledge Academy (JMA) football teammates visited nationally recognized camps late last month, where each had the opportunity to compete with and against some of the most talented high school football players in the country.
Junior tight end Asa Wall attended at the Nike Opening finals June 24-26, at the Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Ore., while junior quarterback Nathan Snow visited the annual Manning Passing Academy June 25-28, at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.
The Nike Opening Finals is an invite-only camp that returned this year after a six-year hiatus. Wall was invited as a member of Team South based on his performance in March at the Opening camp in Atlanta.
At the Nike Opening competition, Wall posted the second-most bench press reps with 43 reps of 185 pounds. During his first day of seven-on-seven competition, Wall caught seven passes for 104 yards receiving, tying him for third among pass catchers. Upon returning from Oregon, Wall said the experience was one he will never forget.
“It was definitely an amazing experience with one-on-one,” Wall said; however, he added, “Seven-on-seven competition was just different there; it felt like a step up to the next level.”
Wall said he also learned a lot from the coaching he received there, including using split release, inside leverage, and his size and speed to his advantage. He also appreciated the competition he faced.
“It was great to get to compete against other highly ranked recruits,” he said.
For Snow at the Manning Passing Academy, several of the nation’s top-ranked high school quarterbacks were in his class, and he got to meet and learn from some of college football’s best signal callers.
Of course, Snow also learned from Archie Manning and sons Peyton and Eli Manning, who combined for four Super Bowl championships with 48 collective years of NFL shot-calling experience.
Snow said the experience is something he hopes to carry with him throughout his football career.
“It was a great experience to learn from some of the best quarterbacks in the country and an honor to be able to take their knowledge with me throughout my career,” he said. “The biggest takeaways for me are to stay consistent with my work and trust the process, and to stay confident and keep my head up, no matter what happens.”
Snow added that he learned he needs to take command of the huddle and to “continue practicing until I can’t get it wrong.”
Further, he said the connections he made with other quarterbacks was among the lasting memories he’ll carry with him from the experience.
For 2026, Wall will continue to be one of the Trojans’ most important skill position players on offense, as well as an important player at linebacker on the defense. Snow, meanwhile, will compete with sophomore Lane Rhodes for the starting quarterback position in the preseason.
The Trojans will begin defense of their GIAA 3A State Championship Aug. 4 in Sandersville, versus Brentwood.