PHOENIX – From running down the halls in his home as a young boy to running routes on the field under the watchful eyes of college recruiters, Dontay Tyson Jr. is not the only thing heating up in Arizona.
Before entering his junior year at Peoria High School, Tyson Jr. has received 18 offers from Division I football programs such as Arizona, Texas and Michigan. He is ranked 95th on the 2027 ESPN Junior 300, which lists him as second in Arizona and 17th in the ESPN West Region. He has an overall scout grade of 82. With all this success early in his career, Tyson Jr. remains humble and blessed.
“I deserve it. All the hard work I’ve put in, I feel it’s definitely paying off right now,” Tyson Jr. said. “It’s truly a blessing. I take it day-by-day because in one minute, it could be gone. So I just enjoy the process.”
The Peoria Panthers were 6-4 in the 2024 season, ranking first place in the 4A Skyline region. The 6-foot-1-inch, 170-pound wide receiver from Peoria had 647 receiving yards, 133 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
Tyson Jr. started his summer with workouts and training with his team at Peoria High, hoping the hard work will bring to life the season he envisions: He plans to hit 1,000 yards, score 15-20 touchdowns and win the 4A state championship. Along with training in football, Tyson Jr. played basketball for Peoria in his freshman year, emphasizing the importance of being a multi-sport athlete.
“It’s not good to focus on one sport,” he said. “You need other sports to feel energetic.”
Not only is Tyson Jr. practicing with the Peoria team, he also trains with Jay Smith, a professional trainer. The two met when Tyson Jr. was in the eighth grade, and Smith helped develop the athlete Tyson Jr. is today. Throughout the years, Smith has seen another version of himself in Tyson Jr.
“I am very excited for him. It reminds me of when I was playing. I was a four-star receiver with a bunch of offers from schools,” Smith said, “Seeing him experience those same situations that I had, it gives me goosebumps. It’s like I’m looking in a mirror.”
Smith also mentioned the domino effect Tyson Jr. brings to his sessions. Along with Tyson Jr., Smith trains other athletes in the area, including Zerek Sidney, a four-star receiver at Desert Edge High School.
“He creates an environment where we can get better and improve our stuff,” Smith said about Tyson Jr.’s impact. “It just builds over to the younger guys who are doing the same thing.”
Smith experienced the same life as Tyson Jr. Both were 4-star wide receivers, who received college offers. This allows the perfect opportunity for both to learn from each other. Smith is able to guide Tyson Jr. throughout the recruiting process while Tyson Jr. pushes Smith as a coach.
With multiple college programs reaching out to Tyson Jr., Smith ensures that Tyson Jr. understands the importance of relationships. From his own experience, Smith knows that relationships are essential in the recruitment process if his players want to go to the next level.
“You have to maneuver and decipher who is actually out for your best interests and who is not really that interested outside of knowing your name,” Smith said, “You want to find someone that cares about you and your development as an athlete. You want to put yourself in a situation where people are advocating for you and appreciating you as the talent you are.”
It’s important to have this support wherever Tyson Jr. goes. Leekentha Tyson, his mother, emphasizes that she cares about the impact that others have on her son. For example, their last minute decision to play at Peoria High raised a few eyebrows from others.
Before Tyson Jr. started his freshman year at Peoria, he was registered to attend Centennial High School. Leekentha recalled many around the family questioning their move to place Tyson Jr. at a small school with his caliber.
However, she knew that her family made the right decision after two years.
“I was really eager for him to be at Peoria. We got a lot of people doubting our decision,” Leekentha said. “He was able to flourish, grow and help other kids from Peoria know that eyes are there too.”
The Tyson family experienced a medical situation in October involving Tyson Jr.’s older sister, Ascia Tyson. She was 19 years old at the time when she had a vitamin deficiency that caused her to lose part of her hearing and mobility. She was hospitalized for over a month and re-learned how to walk and do daily tasks.
Both siblings are very close according to their mother. According to Leekentha, Tyson Jr. initially did not want to play football in the 2024 season as his sister was in the hospital.
However, his sister pushed him to play.
“He did not want to play and she said, ‘No, go play your game,’” Leekentha said. “That was one of the games he scored several touchdowns. I feel us being a family and being supportive is all part of the game.”
His mother recalled telling Tyson Jr. that they were watching him play through a streaming service provided by Peoria High, from the hospital or that his sister was wearing his jersey. Despite not being there physically, his family never missed watching him play from afar.
His sister returned home before Thanksgiving and Tyson Jr.’s trip to Ohio State, one of his dream schools.
“It was a wonderful experience for our family,” Leekentha said. “She was still in a wheelchair then, but gave us something to look forward to.”
His family taught Tyson Jr. to remain humble and be grateful for everything, something that Smith also acknowledged when working with him.
“I just hope that he keeps learning the things that he does daily. To just take it day by day, to be thankful for everything that he’s given,” Leekentha said. “I also hope in the future that with all of the success and everything that’s going on, he’s able to just share his story and encourage other kiddos like himself. It all started with just hopes and ambition. He’s achieving everything that he’s saying. If you have dedication and hard work, you could do anything.”
When he first put on a football helmet to run around his home, nobody expected him to be in the position he is in now, with college recruiters calling before his junior year.
“It does make me feel emotional sometimes just seeing him so big now,” Leekentha said. “I look back on my pictures and memories often, just looking at the growth, physically, mentally and spiritually. To see all the work he’s put in, it’s been amazing for sure.”
The Peoria Panthers’ football season begins Aug. 29 against the Deer Valley Skyhawks. As he prepares for his first game, he reinforces his humble mindset.
“Don’t stop, act like you still have zero offers and keep working hard,” Tyson Jr. said.
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