Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. Today’s playsheet calls for more Intel regarding 5-star CB Tyson Campbell.
We profiled him earlier this week, but he went into greater detail on Wednesday regarding Georgia’s chances to sign him.
Tyson Campbell was rocking a Georgia backpack after school at American Heritage High School in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., suburbs on Wednesday.
The 5-star cornerback is rated by the 247Sports composite as the nation’s No. 3 prospect for his position, the No. 23 overall player for 2018.
Campbell said he has a group of top schools “that are pretty much even.” A couple of those schools will get visits on game days this fall.
“After that, I should have my No. 1 top school,” he told SEC Country’s Sam Spiegelman on Wednesday.
Which schools are jockeying for that top spot? Campbell said Wednesday that Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State are in the thick of that discussion.
DawgNation projects his decision could come down to Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
The 6-foot-2.5, 185-pound prospect broke down why those three schools are contenders.
“I feel like their lack of depth at the corner position and the guys that they produce, they help them become better men and help them get drafted into the league,” Campbell said. “Which is one of my goals in life.”
The Bulldogs have seen six of their defensive backs taken in the NFL draft this decade. The roles Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker had in the development and training of another 11 selections during their time at Alabama add to that appeal.
Campbell said he enjoyed his unofficial visit to UGA this summer.
“When I visited up there, I felt comfortable,” Campbell said. “The coaches and players showed me a lot of love. It is one of those schools I can see myself playing at for the next three to four years.”
What does Tyson Campbell see out of UGA so far?
The Bulldogs (5-0) are off to a strong start, rated the nation’s No. 5 team in the AP Top 25 poll heading into a road test Saturday at Vanderbilt.
Campbell has been paying attention. He sent two tweets over the weekend after the Bulldogs’ 41-0 humbling of Tennessee, including a short quote on a retweet of something shared by Smart.
What stands out to him about the way Georgia is playing right now?
“Their aggressiveness and their athleticism on the defensive side of the ball,” Campbell said. “But they are playing well on the offensive side as well.”
Campbell said he knows what he wants from the college program he chooses.
“I know I will have to work my tail off and compete and work hard to get a playing spot anywhere,” he told Spiegelman. “That’s with any school but I feel like the main thing for me is a comfort and a second home.”
UGA has just one cornerback pledge for 2018. That’s 4-star standout Chris Smith II. Campbell said the Bulldogs have been in constant communication over the last few weeks.
“They tell me I’m the type of player that if I come in and work hard enough, then I can play early as a freshman,” he told SEC Country.
They need to be doing just that. LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond is trying to stay in the race for Campbell by sending him a good morning text every day.
Then there’s also that school in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Tyson Campbell is also the top CB on Alabama’s board
Alabama didn’t sign enough cornerbacks in 2017. They signed six prospects who carried a 5-star rating and landed its seventh straight No. 1 recruiting class in 2017, but Nick Saban was quick to point out what that class was missing.
The Crimson Tide didn’t sign any Tyson Campbells.
“I talk to them pretty much every day,” Campbell said. “Their lack of corners is pretty rare for a program like that. I feel like my class and guys that could go there would have an opportunity to [play] as freshmen and step into already a pretty prestigious program.”
Alabama also looms large in the race for JUCO target Savion Smith, as well as recent LSU de-commits Kelvin Joseph and Nadab Joseph.
What’s the communication like with the Crimson Tide? Alabama tells Campbell they “need” him and they like his size, speed and his length.
Campbell was laser timed at 4.47 seconds in the 40 at Nike’s The Opening Miami regional in February. He was one of the top defenders in coverage in July at The Opening finals in Oregon.
Ohio State keeps in touch with Campbell on a regular basis. The Buckeyes already have two cornerbacks committed to their top-rated 2018 class but are chasing 5-star Anthony Cook and 4-star Isaac Taylor-Stuart.
“I talk to [defensive backs] coach [Kerry] Combs, coach [Urban] Meyer and coach Jack Smith a lot,” Campbell said. “They tell me that I am their guy and they see me being a first-rounder.”
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