Most recruits take a friend or teammate to summer camps just to feel more comfortable around a school and other players. However, for Devonte Mitchell (Class of 2012, Lee High School, Ala.) the two friends that accompany him mean the most.
Cedric Cuff and Chester Rogers (also a UK target), along with Mitchell, have been attending football camps throughout the summer to showcase the skills they have. The three rising seniors have always been close, but the game of football has brought them closer than ever.
“When a new schools calls to talk to me, I automatically tell them about Chester, and he does the same for me,” Mitchell explained. “We also tell them about Cedric.”
Cuff has received interest from some smaller division schools, but not the same as what Rogers and Mitchell have experienced.
“I always say, ‘Hey coach, Cedric is my opposite corner. We work together and teach one another.’ That’s just something we’ve grew to start doing.”
The brotherhood that these three players have made hopes to transfer to wins on the field this season. Lee High School looks to compete for a 5A championship in 2011, with Mitchell, Rogers, and Cuff leading the way. But the intriguing things will come after the season.
“Chester and I talk about going to the same college all the time, and that’s definitely something we want to do. If we can get Cedric on board too, that makes it all better.”
As if there wasn’t enough of the number three to go around, Mitchell’s offers also set at three right now: Tennessee Tech, Southern Miss, and East Carolina.
Mitchell has went to camp after camp with his friends, attempting to bolster his stock. He thinks it may be starting to pay off.
“I have a couple of schools telling me they’re close to offering, they just want to see me play.”
Mitchell attended a camp at UAB last weekend and that’s exactly what they said to him. The Blazers continue to push hard for him, though.
“I would have to say UAB is recruiting me the hardest. Coach (Tim) Bowens keeps in touch a lot.”
Kentucky, ECU, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, NC State, Middle Tennessee State, Southern Miss, Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Georgia have also shown interest.
Mitchell camped at Kentucky earlier in June and had this to say about it:
“I ran a great 40 time at Kentucky, but I didn’t think I did too well in one-on-ones. the coaches said they were impressed, but I was disappointed with myself. But that’s why I keep going to camps.”
He says there are a number of camps he felt like he did great in.
“UAB and Tennessee were great, but I think I did the best at Georgia. I felt great about myself at all of them.
But Mitchell wants to continue to impress coaches. It’s his dream to play in the SEC, and that is what he will continue to work to. With that said, he traveled to Auburn this weekend to participate in one-on-ones.
While he isn’t as high on Kentucky as Chester Rogers might be in his recruitment, Mitchell says he wouldn’t mind playing for the Cats.
“If I had to choose today, Kentucky would be right up there. I want to play in the SEC, and they present a lot of great stuff. It just felt like home,” he explained. Then he made a bold statement that could go a long way. “I was more impressed by Kentucky than I was by Alabama.”
The cornerback also enjoys talking to Tee Martin because of his roots in Alabama.
“Coach (Tee) Martin is an Alabama boy, so it’s nice to talk to him. We know a lot about the state and he just tells me about Kentucky.”
As for an offer from UK, Mitchell knows he has to be patient.
“I’m a new recruit to Kentucky and they’ve evaluated some guys before me. They want to see me play first, but then they would start talking about offering me.”
Until then, Mitchell will continue to attend skills camps with his two best friends. He already has plans to attend camps at Wake Forest, Troy, and possibly Florida State.
Stay tuned for a video interview with Devonte.
Follow Garrett Tucker on Twitter [URL=”https://twitter.com/#%21/GTuckersports”]@GTuckersports[/URL] for more info on Kentucky recruiting.
