Interview: Jordan Blakely – The 2019 Nevada Scholar and Athlete College Coaches are Overlooking
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
On the Foothill High School roster in Henderson, Nevada, sits an all-around athlete and scholar college coaches are missing out on in the 2019 class. Blakely rocked 4A competition as a safety coming up with 54 tackles with four interceptions, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. On offense, he pulled in 24 passes for 395 yards with four scores and tallied seven carries for 42 more yards. After the season, the 6-2, 184-pound, athlete earned second team All-Southwest honors at safety and receiver. On the recruiting trail, surprisingly, only Air Force has offered thus far with UNLV, Nevada, and Hawaii, among others, showing interest. When D-I programs find Blakely, not only will they find the football player with athleticism, but they will also find a high-character young man who gets it done in the classroom scoring a 31 on the ACT.
After a whirlwind college camp circuit, I sat down with Blakely for an update interview to see how the camps went with an update on his recruiting process.
*Click link for May, 17, 2018, RNG interview with Jordan Blakely
Interview
Jordan, how are your offseason workouts going?
“They are going really well. I am improving and working on things I need to improve upon. I am improving in every aspect, my conditioning and my technique working at safety and receiver. I am working to be a better football player.”
Where are you seeing the biggest growth in your skillset?
“I am seeing the biggest growth on defense. On my team, we do not have a DB coach so I am watching videos and helping my teammates at the position as much as I can. I am working on my stance, my breaks, and I am getting better at man – we primarily run a zone. I am working on my jump balls, which helps on both sides of the ball. I am conditioning as much as I can so I stay fresh throughout the game and I can stay in the game longer.”
I saw you at the Las Vegs Nike Combine/Elite 11 Regional, have you been to any camps or combines since then?
“I went to a Whitter camp on the 15th – that was Arizona State, La Verne on the 16th for Oregon, La Verne on 17th for Washington State and Utah, and I just came back from Colorado to camp at Air Force. That was more of a visit, but a little football workout at the end.”
How did the Air Force camp/visit go?
“It went really well. Air Force is a place you have to experience to better understand everything. The school is beautiful, and they are serious about football and academics. The coaches were welcoming.”
Did you get a chance to interact much with the coaches?
“Yes. The top prospects were invited to a brunch. When I was sitting down, my recruiter Alex Means, Coach (Troy) Calhoun (head coach), and the defensive backs coach (Chris Vaughn) sat down with me. It was great to be around them in person instead of just talking to them on the phone.”
What were your lasting impressions of your visit at Air Force?
“I can see myself being there. I am still weighing my options, but I can see myself there.”
What about the Utah and Washington State camp, how did that go?
“It went really well. That was my last camp out of the three days in California. I kept improving with each camp. Since I do not have a DB coaching me, to learn from all the college coaches was amazing. They were helping me turn my hips better – all the little things a defensive back needs to do.
“We were playing off and press coverage on first day, the second day we were playing man, and I had my best day on my third day. The other two camps helped me on Day 3. I was taking in all the coaching. I showed I was coachable. I did not do as well on Day 1 covering the slot, that was new to me. On Day 3, I had three picks and broke up a lot of passes. I only gave up a couple of quick outs.”
Did you get to run a 40-yard dash at any of the camps?
“Yes, sir. I ran a 4.65 at Air Force.”
Nice. Have you received any feedback from the various college coaches?
“A lot of coaches gave me their card; they seemed to like me. They were cheering me on and helping me learn. That was really cool. They were happy that I was out there and I was happy to be there.”
Do you have any upcoming camps on the schedule?
“During the third week of July, I am going to a Southern Utah team camp for a week. I going to Reno on the 27th as well.”
Beyond the schools you’ve mentioned from the camps, which other schools are showing interest?
“Hawaii, Nevada, UNLV, Navy, and Wyoming.”
Do you have any planned unofficial visits coming up?
“I am planning on visiting Oregon State, Nevada, and I am trying to set up a Wyoming visit.”
Jordan, congratulations on success at all the college camps and good luck with the rest of your offseason workouts.
“Thank you.”
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Photo credit: Blakely family; Jordan Blakely at Air Force