St. Joseph’s Prep’s Omillio Agard is one of the best DBs in the nation. He also experienced the ‘ugly side’ of recruitment

Like most defensive backs, Omillio Agard started as a receiver.

His dad, Justin Agard, wanted young Omillio to experience the glamour of being the guy who scores touchdowns. But at 12 years old, Omillio went in another direction.

Justin was on the sidelines of a Game Changers football camp in New Jersey with the other parents, watching as the whistle blew and two groups were formed — wide receivers and defensive backs. His son, whom Justin had signed up as a receiver, strolled in line with the DBs.

“I’m trying to get his attention like, ‘What the hell are you doing with the DBs? Go over there with the wide receivers,’ ” said Justin, of Elkins Park. “He’s ignoring me the whole time. I’m so upset. But the boy goes out there and locks up everybody and walks away with his first MVP trophy.

“On the way home, I said, ‘I didn’t really like what you did, because you defy what I said, you’re just being rebellious, but I’m glad that you did that, because I saw something in you today that I’ve never seen out of you before.’ It was just the passion to play defense.”

The national recognition started early for the St. Joe’s Prep senior, who has starred in viral moments and has been one of the best talents in the area since the eighth grade.

The cornerback’s high school career will conclude Saturday as the Hawks (12-1) take on North Allegheny (13-1) at Cumberland Valley High School for the PIAA Class 6A title. Prep, the defending 6A champ, will be going for its sixth state championship since 2016.

“After this week, we won’t play football in a St. Joe’s Prep jersey ever again,” Omillio said Wednesday. “It’s emotional because those are my brothers. It’s going to be so hard and tough, but we’ve got to finish it. We’ve got to get the job done.”

Omillio is trying to focus on the present, he said, since the last couple of years, all he could think about was where he would play college football. Luckily, that decision was made before his senior year.

There were numerous scholarship offers on the table, including Michigan, Clemson, and Georgia. Omillio announced his commitment to Wisconsin on his 18th birthday, joining first-year head coach Luke Fickell. Fickell heavily recruited the No. 7 Class of 2024 prospect in the state while at Cincinnati.

“It’s a blessing and I appreciate everybody who’s helped me,” Omillio said. “I just want to carry on the legacy that D’Andre Swift, Marvin Harrison Jr., Josiah Trotter, Keenan Nelson Jr., Kyle McCord, Jeremiah [Trotter] Jr., and more have all played.

“Show the next that you can do this one day, stick to the grind, listen to Coach [Tim] Roken and all our coaches, and you will be there. I just want to set an example.”

However, being in the spotlight as a teenager can have an impact.

Don’t be mistaken, Omillio enjoyed the attention and exposure over the years. It allowed him to work with the best trainers, like Keita Crespina from Philly and Oliver Davis in Atlanta, who would help him meet college coaches from all over the country.

“I had 10k followers as a sophomore with a blue check,” Omillio said. “I was 16. It was crazy, but I love it. That’s what I wanted growing up. But there was all this stress, like, I can’t let up a catch, people think I’m perfect. Then there’s a lot of hate that comes with it, too.”

During his junior year, Omillio faced adversity. He suffered injuries — first with his hamstring, then hip — that sidelined him for three games, and even when he returned, splitting reps in the final two games of the season, there was lingering pain.

Suddenly, while he was working on getting healthy in the offseason, Omillio stopped receiving calls from coaches and watched as he dropped in the rankings. It was the first time he saw the negative side while being in the limelight.

“Junior year was hard,” Omillio said. “Probably one of the hardest years of my life. I didn’t really have that many struggles, I’ll say, but that was hard.”

» READ MORE: St. Joseph’s Prep football has 3 receivers committed to FBS programs. They’re also the best of friends.

He leaned on his family for support. There were countless nights of long talks. Justin would remind his son that he’s still the best corner in the country.

“Omillio was No. 22 in the country and he fell down to No. 227,” Justin said. “He was a five-star, and they dropped him down to four-star. These kids grew up on social media. It’s hard for you to tell them not to look at what’s on the internet.

“I needed him to know what adversity feels like because there are going to be hard times and you have to work through them. You have to persevere to do that. I would just reassure him, but I gave him a lot of tough love. I also encouraged him as well as my wife.”

Omillio was fully healthy for his senior year. The injury changed his perspective of the game and helped him grow as a person. It also helped determine where he would spend his next four years.

“A lot of schools tell you a lot of different things,” Omillio said. “You’re going to be that, we want you, you’re top priority. Then when it’s time, they’re going to be like ‘We have other commits.’ When I went to Wisconsin for my official visit, they made sure my family was good.

“I knew I wanted to go there when my mom said that this is the place for you. But they came into the picture late because Coach Fick and all the coaches were at Cincinnati. And that’s not a Power 5, and I always wanted to go to a Power 5.”

Still, Fickell kept in touch while at Cincinnati. He would tell the Agard family, “Omillio’s my wish list kid, if I had one wish that would be my guy,” Justin recalled.

And when Fickell took over the Badgers’ program, Omillio’s dream of playing for a Power 5 school seemed like a reality.

“We kind of saw the ugly side of recruitment, which was a good thing because it let us look at the people who is recruiting my son rather than the school,” Justin said. “Wisconsin has a really good 2024 class. We’re trendsetters here. We don’t follow the wave; we create the wave — Georgia has put several guys in the NFL before, but if you go to Wisconsin, it means so much more.”

Roken knew Omillio would bounce back from his injuries — he’s a student of the game.

As a freshman, he would go against the elite trio of receivers in Harrison, a Heisman Trophy candidate at Ohio State; Duke’s Sahmir Hagans; and Malik Cooper, who played a season at Temple.

“He’s grown a lot. With him it was being better at press coverage, playing with great eye discipline, his transition and speed,” Roken said. “He put an effort into the weight room and has built his body up. He showed that I can be more than just a cover guy. I can be physical and make tackles, too. He’s done a great job of that over the years.”

Omillio religiously studies the playbook and watches film.

Even Prep’s senior receivers David Washington Jr. (heading to Kentucky), Elijah Jones (Cincinnati), and Brandon Rehmann (West Virginia) would get frustrated going against the 5-foot-10 Omillio, because he would immediately call out the route when they took the field, Roken said.

But if there was moment that exemplifies the player Omillio has grown to be, it’s from his junior year, in the state championship game against Harrisburg.

Omillio had a pass caught on him. He then regrouped and broke up the next play. He knew he didn’t have the best year statistically because of injuries, but that didn’t matter. He wanted to contribute on that stage.

The plan is to bring that level of commitment to the Badgers next season.

“That’s what defines me,” Omillio said. “I’m going to overcome everything, and I’m going to be the best.”