Fast Track Recruits Has Helped More Than 100 Southern Maryland Athletes Get Noticed By Colleges

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Southern Maryland athletes have gone from local high school football fields to college programs and, in some cases, the National Football League (NFL) with help from a recruiting and mentorship program built to make sure talented players in the region are seen.

For Daryl Wills, the founder of Fast Track Recruits, those success stories are about more than football scholarships.

They are about making sure talented athletes in Southern Maryland are seen, supported and given an opportunity to continue their education and football careers beyond high school.

What began as a hobby around 2011 has grown into a recruiting and mentorship program that Wills said has helped more than 100 Southern Maryland athletes obtain football scholarships.

“It’s more than just a recruiting service. It’s a mentoring service,” Wills told The BayNet.

Creating Opportunities For Southern Maryland Athletes

Wills founded Fast Track Recruits after seeing talented local players overlooked by college programs. His own experience as a high school football player and his inability to continue playing college football helped motivate him to create opportunities for others.

“I wanted to try to be an extra helping hand” to high school coaches and athletes, Wills said.

Wills said Fast Track evaluates athletes, reviews their film, builds recruiting profiles and communicates directly with college coaches. The organization also provides exposure through camps, social media, campus visits and bus tours.

Fast Track works with athletes pursuing opportunities at all levels of college football, including FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college programs.

“I work hard for everybody,” Wills said. “It’s not just Power 5 football.”

Bridging Southern Maryland’s Recruiting Gap

One of the challenges Wills identified for Southern Maryland athletes is the region’s geography. College coaches have limited time when traveling to recruit, and local schools can be spread nearly an hour apart.

Fast Track’s annual bus tours are designed to help bridge that gap. Wills takes top athletes from Southern Maryland and surrounding areas to college campuses, allowing them to meet coaches, showcase their abilities and experience college football firsthand.

For some athletes, Wills said, the experience can change their outlook.

“They come back, they work harder in the classroom, they work harder on the field and they want it more because they actually seen it,” Wills said.

From Southern Maryland To College Football And The NFL

The results have included athletes reaching college football and, eventually, the professional ranks.

Wills pointed to players such as Rasheed Walker, Kalen Carson and Jalen Duncan as examples of Southern Maryland athletes who have progressed to the next level.

One example is Anthony Smith, a Huntingtown High School product who initially played kicker before emerging as a football prospect.

After seeing Smith’s athletic ability at a Nike event and later watching him excel in track, Wills believed he had the potential to play wide receiver.

Wills sent Smith’s film to North Carolina State, which eventually offered him a scholarship. Smith later played at East Carolina before being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the NFL draft, according to Wills.

For Wills, however, the ultimate measure of success is not necessarily how many players reach the NFL.

It is what happens to them after football.

An Impact Beyond Football

A Fast Track testimonial from former McDonough High School and Old Dominion defensive tackle Mufu Taiwo illustrates that point.

“Owe this man everything for getting me to this stage in life. Happy to return the favor! #FTR,” Taiwo wrote in the testimonial.

Wills said Taiwo graduated from Old Dominion and has gone on to work in college athletics, including positions at Michigan and Arizona State. Wills believes Taiwo is working toward a future as an athletic director.

Another testimonial comes from Tequilla Washington, the mother of Iowa State football player Keyon Washington. She credited Wills with helping her son receive nine Division I offers and navigate the recruiting process, including after he entered the transfer portal.

“Having someone who is GENUINELY invested in your child as much as you are is a blessing,” Washington wrote.

Her testimonial said Wills helped Keyon receive exposure through film, camps and college bus tours before he initially committed to West Virginia in 2024. After Keyon entered the transfer portal, Wills continued working with the family before Keyon ultimately committed to Iowa State.

For Wills, stories like those are why he continues the work.

“It’s not for the financial gain, but it’s for just to make a change,” Wills told TheBayNet.

Building A Future For Fast Track

His long-term vision is to build a permanent Fast Track facility in Southern Maryland with indoor turf, football meeting rooms, tutoring, weight training and nutrition resources.

Ultimately, Wills hopes the program’s impact will continue even after he is no longer running it.

“I just hope that it’s something that kind of sparks the idea of anyone,” Wills said. “So when I’m gone and this is over with, someone else picks the torch up and tries to do the same thing here.”

For Southern Maryland athletes, Wills hopes Fast Track can provide something he believes too many players lacked in the past: a path to be seen, an opportunity to succeed and someone willing to help them reach the finish line.

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