By Cam Smith, USA TODAY High School Sports | February 7, 2018 10:17 am
There was always a vibrant debate about which American Heritage (Fla.) cornerback was the better prospect. For so long, Patrick Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell were virtually indistinguishable except for one inch (Campbell is taller) and the side of the field they locked down. Now, at long last there’s a distinct difference: They’re headed in different directions.
Campbell and Surtain Jr. held scholarship offers from a number of the same programs, but they were pulled in competing directions. While Alabama and Miami were serious contenders for both stars (and Surtain Jr. chose Alabama), Campbell chose Georgia.
Tyson Campbell picks Georgia. pic.twitter.com/01L8gRu4iP
— David Wilson (@DBWilson2) February 7, 2018
“Kirby Smart showed me a bunch of love,” Campbell told ESPN during a live video announcement of his choice. He was keeping it real from the get-go and it’s going to be up to me to put the work in if I want to see the field as a freshman.”
At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Campbell is both deceptively strong, fast and long, all attributes that made him one of the nation’s top lockdown corners in the prep ranks. He will head to Athens with a chance to make an impact from day one.
That’s part of what he always wanted. While Campbell and Surtain Jr. came together to form one of the most formidable prep defensive duos in recent memory, they now will find themselves on opposite sidelines, a new twist to their journeys through the football ranks.
2018 National Signing Day, Alabama Crimson Tide, American Heritage (Plantation FL), florida, football, football recruiting, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, Signing Day