Akeel Gaines '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Akeel Gaines, and I am a 5'11 175lb defensive back and wide receiver for Long Branch High School. I played varsity football for both Wall High School and Long Branch High School. In addition to varsity level high school football, I also play on Next Level Great 7v7 18U team as a corner back and nickel back. I've been passionate about football since I was 5 years old playing in a youth league! Since then my work ethic and competitive nature has been the backbone of my drive, attitude, and success.

Off the field, I am an honors student, and have been taking honors and AP classes since middle school. I have been able to maintain a 4.1 GPA while excelling on the football field. I was in the National Junior Honor Society and in the National Honor society in High School. I hold myself as a true student athlete.

My strongest assets are my ball tracking skills, quickness/agility, and my eyes and ability to read the field. I am also a standout in the weight room, with a max squat of 435 and a max bench of 235. My goal has always been to play Division 1 football while still graduating with a high academic degree in Engineering. With my football skills, athletitiscm, and constant gym schedule while doing thousands of drills, I will be an asset to any team I join. I am a leader on and off the field and value team work.