In this installment of the Recruit Notebook, we meet a player with Championship pedigree who brings plenty of talent to the table as well: OT John Campbell.

Bio

Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt and OL coach Stacy Searels have been adamant that the Canes are in need of “pure tackle types” along the Offensive Line. With many tweeners and thicker guard-types, there is room for taller, lengthier players to join the group.

One such player they’ve gotten to begin to fill that void is Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips OT John Campbell. At 6’5” 270lbs, Campbell is a pure tackle with the ability to develop into a starting player for Miami over time.

Campbell was somewhat of a recruiting unknown until the spring of his junior year. Following a loss in the 8A State Championship game, teams from around the country flocked to Orlando to get a look at Dr. Phillips’ starting LT.

Due to his athletic traits and physical build, Campbell started quickly stacking scholarship offers. With more than 40 offers to his name, Campbell quickly became one of the most coveted recruits on a talented Dr. Phillips roster.

After showing very well in several camps and combines, Campbell shut down his recruitment and committed to the University of Miami on July 3, 2017. Campbell was a relatively late addition to the 2018 recruiting class, as he was the 3rd OL and 19th commitment overall at the time of his pledge.

Campbell continued to develop throughout his senior season, leading Dr. Phillips to a 8A State Championship. He’s set to enroll at Miami in January, and potentially push for playing time as a freshman.

Recruiting Ranking

On the 247sports composite, Campbell is a 3-star prospect, the #40 OT in this class, #84 in the State of Florida, and #503 recruit overall.

Campbell committed to Miami over Florida from a list of 42 scholarship offers from around the country. That amount of scholarship offers shows that while he’s not the highest rated player at current, a great many teams see immense future potential in Campbell.

Campbell as a player

At 6’5” 270lbs, Campbell has a good build for an Offensive Tackle. He has a strong lower body, but can add a bit of size and strength to be ready to compete in the ACC.

Campbell has great length (long arms), ideal for a tackle. That allows him to control and direct defenders as they rush, while keeping leverage on them from a distance.

With Campbell at LT, Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips got to 2 consecutive Florida 8A State Championship games. They lost to Mark Pope, Daquris Wiggins and Miami (FL) Southridge in 2016, but rebounded to win in 2017. With 20+ wins over the course of 2 years, all while playing the most important position on the OL, Campbell knows what it takes to win games. Also, Dr. Phillips was one of the more explosive offenses in Florida over the last 2 years, due in large part to Campbell’s blocking ability.

Strengths

• Size
• Experience at 1 position (LT)
• Positional value

Weaknesses

• Consistency in pass protection against quicker defenders
• Strength

2018 Outlook

Miami needs talent on the offensive line, and Tackle is the position most in need of players. Campbell has good height and length for Tackle, but he may need time to get stronger before he’s a factor at the point of attack at the college level.

Chances for a redshirt: 5/10

Other players who were further along their developmental path have taken a RS at offensive tackle in the recent past. Unless Campbell is able to take a major leap forward — which is possible if improbable — he’s likely to make his presence known starting in 2019.

That’s it for this installment of the Recruit Notebook.

Go Canes