The First Academy’s Star Junior Athlete: Brian Dillard

Brian Dillard is a 3 Star recruit who is an Athlete at The First Academy. Dillard is ranked as the 427th best recruit in the class of 2027 and is ranked as a top 30 Athlete in the class as well. In addition, Dillard is listed as a top 60 recruit in the state of Florida and is listed as a top 10 Athlete in the state of Florida. He holds offers from schools such as Kentucky, Pitt and Purdue.

Who are some role models in your life?
My dad is one of my biggest role models, along with my uncle.

What artists do you listen to pregame to get you hyped up?
Drake gets me hyped every time.

What are the strengths of your game?
My versatility is my biggest strength—being able to play multiple positions at a high level.

What is your favorite memory of your career?
My favorite memory of my career was last year’s game against Plant City. It was my best game of the year—we were down, but we came back to win.

Who is the best player you have ever played with or against in your career?
Ivan Taylor was definitely one of the best players I’ve played with.

What is some advice you would give to an aspiring D1 athlete?
Wait for your time to come and don’t rush the process. The journey is going to be long, and there’s no reason to rush anything. You don’t want to burn out early or lose your love for the game.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Tokyo. It looks really cool, and I’ve heard the food there is amazing.

How old were you when you fell in love with the game?
I was probably 8 or 9 when I started loving the game.

If you could meet one sports hero, who would it be?
I would meet DeVonta Smith. I feel like our stories are similar—especially not being the biggest. I’d ask him how he looked past being told he was too small.

What is your favorite sports moment as a fan?
My favorite sports moment was definitely Odell’s one-handed catch.