Coach’s take: Miami getting ‘a dawg’ in recent OL commit Demetrius Campbell
Orlando (Fla.) Orlando Christian Prep three-star offensive lineman and Miami commit Demetrius Campbell didn’t start playing serious football until high school. But it also didn’t take high school head coach Guerschom Demosthenes long to figure out the 6-foot-6, 300-pound recruit could play at the college level.
Campbell, the No. 890 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and No. 59 offensive tackle in the class, wasn’t the most polished prospect when he arrived at Orlando Christian Prep, but the year-to-year progress Demosthenes has seen Campbell make is nothing short of remarkable, he said — and has turned him into a recruit capable of playing in the ACC.
“Demetrius came to us from Maine, and the game of football was a little new to him,” Demosthenes said. “He got down to business and developed his skills, honing his skills. He got a personal trainer, shed about 30 or 40 pounds and really got focused on building himself into the kind of football player he is. Man, he’s a dawg, very aggressive. He works very hard, and I definitely think he’ll excel based on his skillset and what he brings to the table.”
Demosthenes said Campbell’s drive and determination to find success set him apart from the overwhelming majority of high school players, but he remembers watching him practice this spring and suddenly realizing he was ready to play at the Power Conference level.
“We were doing board drills, and we had a young man who had recently been offered to go to Illinois State, this big ol’ boy, and the previous year, he was handling Demetrius really well,” Demosthenes said. “Then the next spring we put those two jokers together, and it was a stalemate, and I said, ‘Aha! He figured it out!’ He finally figured it out and he won. I said, ‘Guys, I think we’ve got ourselves a good football player.'”
Demosthenes believes Campbell’s size allows him play guard or tackle at the next level depending where Miami envisions using him. He also comes from a family of college athletes with two parents who played college basketball and a brother who received an offer to play basketball at Notre Dame. He added he thinks Campbell has naturally good feet that offer him a strong natural base, and if he takes another step between his junior and senior year similar to the step he took between his sophomore and junior year, “he’ll be just fine.”
“He’s got to continuously hone his skills, develop his skillset and just be that guy that Miami will have for the next four years,” Demosthenes said, “He just really has to get after it, man. The ACC is very tough and Miami is a very good program over there.”
CaneSport’s Take
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal’s track record developing offensive linemen and their evaluation process is second to none, so when the two find an offensive line prospect they believe could develop into a future starter, it’s hard not to have faith in the duo.
The post Coach’s take: Miami getting ‘a dawg’ in recent OL commit Demetrius Campbell appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings