The Extra Down: Jeremiah Ware Finds His Footing in Year Two
10/1/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO – A year ago, second-year receiver Jeremiah Ware was learning the college game from the sidelines. After redshirting his freshman season and spending countless hours learning from the veterans in Georgia Southern's wide receiver room, Ware entered his second year with a different role, and a chance to prove he could be counted on.
Growing up, Ware wanted to play college basketball. But at a certain point, Ware joked, his height had other plans.
I was really going to play basketball. I wanted to play basketball, but I was too short, so I just went to football and gave football my heart, Ware said.
What began as a change in direction quickly became a passion. Football gave Ware an opportunity to continue competing while building a path toward the collegiate level.
That path eventually led him to Georgia Southern, where he felt a connection with the program.
It's definitely the coaching staff, Ware said. I had a great bond with everybody here, especially Weston Bryan, Coach [Ryan] Aplin and Coach [Damion] Willis.
But it was more than the coaching staff that made Georgia Southern feel like home.
It was definitely a family thing here, Ware said. That's what I felt when I first came on my visit. Just seeing the players talking to the players and stuff like that. That's probably what I would say.
Ware's introduction to college football came during his first fall camp, an experience he remembers as anything but easy.
I'm not going to lie, that was probably the worst experience I've ever felt, Ware said. My first week being in college, everything was just coming at me all at once. I honestly thought I couldn't do it that first week, but I got used to it.
Then came the moment when Ware truly realized what playing college football meant.
It was Justin Meyers, Ware said with a laugh about the former hard-hitting safety. I went up to catch the ball, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. That's all I can say about that.
While the physicality was an adjustment, learning the college game itself presented another challenge.
Learning the college game was very difficult for me my freshman year because it felt like everything was being thrown at me, Ware said. But once I had been here longer and started studying more, it helped me out a lot.
He entered a wide receiver room filled with veterans during his freshman season, giving him an opportunity to learn from players who had already navigated many of the challenges he was facing.
One of those players was Camden Brown, who has since moved on to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.
Camden was probably the person who took me under his wing from day one, Ware said. He and I talked almost every day, and we still do.
Brown's biggest piece of advice was simple: don't rush the process.
He just told me, 'Don't rush. Everything doesn't have to be a rush,' Ware said. Last year, I was kind of in a deep hole, and he really helped me get out of that.
Ware also leaned on teammates, Josh Dallas and Dalen Cobb, building relationships throughout the room while learning from those around him.
After redshirting his last season, Ware entered his second year with a greater understanding of the game and a bigger role within the Eagles' offense.
The transition required work, patience and continued growth.
It took a lot of hard work and knowledge, Ware said. As far as the transition, I was just grateful that I got the chance to be here. Some people don't get to be where I'm at, and I'm just thankful that I get to do this.
That gratitude has carried Ware into some of the biggest moments of his young career.
One of those moments came inside one of college football's most recognizable venues when the Eagles traveled to Clemson.
In his first road game, Ware recorded four receptions for 47 yards, including a 22-yarder, while helping Georgia Southern move the chains.
But before he ever stepped onto the field at Death Valley, Ware had to overcome a different challenge: himself.
The game was delayed by rain, giving Ware additional time to process the moment and prepare mentally.
The rain delay really didn't bother me because, honestly, I really wasn't ready to play that game, Ware said. I had to talk to myself and just say, 'I wasn't ready, so take everything step by step.'
Ware wasn't alone.
He credits the people around him for helping him prepare for the biggest stage he had faced to that point, including members of the coaching staff and his teammates.
I had people in my corner helping me out with that, Ware said. Coach Willis helped me get prepared for it. Max [Johnson] and the O-Line also all helped me get prepared for that game. I can just thank them, really. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to get the ball.
Ware's journey has been defined by adjustment.
He had to learn a new level of football, endure the difficult transition into college athletics and find people willing to help him along the way.
Through four games of the 2026 campaign, Ware has recorded 13 receptions for 161 yards, including a long of 27 yards, while adding 93 yards on six kickoff returns, highlighted by a 39-yard long.
Now, as a second-year Eagle, Ware is beginning to turn those lessons into production.
And the kid who once thought basketball was his future has found a home on the football field.
