Grossmont JUCO CB Maurice Carnell Talks Verbal Commitment to Utah State

Written by Ryan Wright

Life happens fast and for Maurice Carnell IV it is happening really fast. Little did Carnell know that when Utah State offered him back in May that by the end of July he would be an Aggie.

Carnell is entering his sophomore season for Grossmont C.C. with interest in his abilities growing over the offseason. Texas State has offered with schools like Arizona State and USC showing interest after the San Diego area native posted an impressive stat line during his freshman year: 36 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 8 pass breakups.

On Monday Carnell made the trek from southern California up to Logan, Utah to visit the campus, and fell in love committing to the Aggies the following day.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I sat down with Maurice right after his commitment to get the inside scoop on why he committed and how the commitment to Utah State went down.

Interview
Maurice, first, congratulations on your commitment to Utah State.

“Thank you.”

What influenced you to commit to Utah State today?

“I sat down with my mom and dad, called a few of my coaches up, and everybody thinks this is the spot for me. I told them I’m all in. I was just going with my heart and going with what’s best for me but I also went above that. I sat down thought about it, talked to my family, and talked to my coaches about making sure that I’m doing the right thing. Them giving all of their support and agreeing with it – hey, they don’t see anything wrong with it and think it’s the best thing for me and I think it’s the best thing for me, why not? It’s truly an awesome and special place out there in Utah. That’s why I had to commit.”

Who did you commit to and how did the commitment take place?

“I called Coach (Matt) Wells (head coach) and we shared some words and I tweeted it out. Now it is all over.”

What was Coach Wells reaction when you told him you were committing?

“He was hyped. He said – I don’t remember word for word, but he was like, “We just got better today. 619 – Aggies Up!”

You got feedback from everyone within your sphere of influence, how did you feel at that moment when you verbally committed?

“It felt great knowing that I have a chance to go play football at a Division-I school with a free education. It’s not just about the football there but the academics as well. They graduate their players early or on time, which is big. Once I knew I was committing there I felt good about it. Now I have a chance to get a great degree and have a great chance to go play some Division-I football.”

Do you plan on recruiting other players to join you at Utah State?

“Oh yeah, most definitely. They (Utah State) said the need some corners and we have some good ones at Grossmont. I’d love to bring my guys.”

What are you guys doing tonight to celebrate your commitment?

“We’re going out for tacos.”

Enjoy your day and, again, congratulations on your commitment to Utah State.

“Thank you.”

Utah State now has five verbal commitments to their 2016 recruiting class.

Photo credit: twitter.com; Maurice Carnell IV with head coach Matt Wells.