OT Devon Campbell remains a priority target for the Longhorns
Sunday’s Under Armour All-America Camp in Dallas featured a large number of high-end talent, and offensive lineman Devon Campbell might have been the best of the bunch.
Campbell, a five-star prospect out of Arlington Bowie, recently released a top eight of Southern Cal, Texas, Florida State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Houston and LSU. Beyond that, Campbell is taking the recruiting process day by day and said he doesn’t have a timeline for a final decision.
“I really don't know what my next step will be. I could commit. I don't know. I could drop another top school list, a top three or maybe a top five,” Campbell said. “I really don't have a target date (for a commitment). I'm just seeing how everything goes right now and playing it out.”
The 6-4, 310-pound Campbell is a priority target for the Texas coaches, with head coach Steve Sarkisian and assistants Kyle Flood and Jeff Banks putting on the full-court press.
“Coach Flood, coach Sark, coach Banks are constantly hitting me up and staying on me,” Campbell said. “Even the new coach from Lancaster, coach (Chris) Gilbert, he constantly stays on me, hitting me up every day.”
While Campbell remains open among his top eight schools, Texas is a school that’s expected to stay in the race until the very end, and there’s some thought that the Longhorns could quietly be the team to beat for Campbell’s services. There is a lot to like about the UT program, Campbell said.
“It’s a winning tradition. It's close, not so far away from home. And it’s orange and white, just like my high school, so I’d fit in pretty well,” he said.
Austin being less than three hours away from Arlington certainly can’t hurt UT’s chances, but Campbell said he has talked to his family and they’re open to him going away from home if he finds what he feels is the perfect fit. For their part, the Texas coaches are stressing to Campbell that he can find everything he needs in Austin, and he can help take the UT program to new heights.
“They say I'm a really special player and they would love to have me on the team and I can take them far,” Campbell said.
With the dead period currently set to expire on May 31 (if it doesn’t get extended again), Campbell’s plan is to get out this summer and see as many campuses as possible. Once he’s able to do that, he could be able to work towards a final decision.
“Every school that’s in my top eight, once the dead period ends, I’m going to try to get there ASAP,” Campbell said. “I want to see the life of the students more than just being a football player.”
Ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 4 offensive tackle prospect, and the No. 5-ranked prospect in the state of Texas, Campbell possesses a rare combination of size, agility and strength. When he looks for a college, finding someone who can maximize his natural gifts will be paramount in his decision.
“The things I think that are different from regular linemen are my feet and my speed. What I can work on is my physicality,” Campbell said. “Producing me on and off the field (will be important), developing me and getting me ready to get to the next level.”
