Mount Vernon’s Jaylan Adlam hopes to take his game to the next level with the help of recruiting camps like the NUC 100

Mount Vernon star earns trip to prestigious football camp
By Parrish Walton
pwalton@neighbornewspapers.com
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Mount Vernon’s Jaylan Adlam hopes to take his game to the next level with the help of recruiting camps like the NUC 100.
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Mount Vernon Presbyterian football player Jaylan Adlam recently competed in the National Underclassman Combine (NUC) 100, a combine specifically designed to get underclassmen recruiting exposure.

The camp, which was held June 13 at Riverwood in Sandy Springs, comprised of 100 of the top underclassmen prospects from a previous NUC camp that had more than 400 participants.

The rising junior, a do-it-all star for the Mustangs, said he was thrilled when he found out he was selected to go to the elite camp.

“I didn’t know they had a next level,” he said. “But I was pretty excited.”

The Sandy Springs resident plays wide receiver, running back, linebacker and safety for the Mustangs, though he said he prefers safety.

“That’s just kind of how my body grew,” he said. “But I always loved to be around the ball.”


The camp featured some stiff competition, and Adlam said he was impressed by what he saw.

“It was real cool out there because it looked like everybody was used to being a leader,” he said. “Everyone out there was a team leader so the competition was really good.”

Being a leader is something that comes naturally to Adlam, Reggie Burnette, Mount Vernon’s head coach, said.

“What I like most about Jaylan as a player is his work ethic and his leadership abilities,” he said. “He’s a leader on the field and in the weight room, and in the classroom he’s a National Honor Society and honor role member. He’s just a great kid all the way around.”

Adlam, who is originally from Houston, is not just a jock. He takes school very seriously, saying that he wants to major in biology when he gets to college.

The strong academics at Mount Vernon is one of the things that he likes most about the school.

“I just love the school atmosphere around here,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody, and you get to know the teachers. I’m a strong academic student so I love to be academically challenged.”

Adlam is currently carrying a 3.7 GPA.

On the field, he has taken on a leadership role the past two seasons. He was named a captain last year and will again reprise that responsibility.

“The main thing about being a captain is to get the guys ready to play,” he said. “You go to war with these kids so you want them to be ready at game time.”

While Adlam is a captain, there is still much he can improve upon, he said.

“Everything I think I can get better at,” he said. “To me, I have to be able to jump higher, run faster and run longer. Everything is always improvable.”

Last year the Mustangs struggled, finishing 2-8. This fall, however, Adlam said he expects the team to be much better.

“I expect the same thing every year: championships,” he said. “I feel every year we have a chance to do it, it’s just on whether we do what we have to do.”