2022 Top Offensive Tackle Will Campbell Taking His Time With Recruitment, Talks LSU Football
Will Campbell and Walker Howard have become great friends throughout their respective recruitments. The two highly touted 2022 prospects met after Neville High School, Campbell’s school, played St. Thomas More, Walker’s school and have stayed in contact ever since.
With Howard now firmly a part of the Tiger family after committing on June 16, Campbell said it doesn't sway his recruitment process one way or the other but it is something he's paying attention to.
Howard has told his fellow rising junior multiple times how he wants Campbell to be the offensive lineman that blocks for him.
“I've been down to his house, he came to the beach with me and my family so we've become real close and talk to each other pretty much everyday," Campbell said. "It means a little bit because we are close and he reminds me all the time that he wants me blocking for him so there's for sure an influence there."
The recruitment process has exploded for the junior offensive tackle out of Monroe. Campbell said he's keeping all of his options open for the time being but that there are certain schools that have made strong pushes in recent months, including LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Texas.
Campbell says as it pertains to the Tigers, he has a great relationship with coach Ed Orgeron and offensive line coach James Cregg. Because they've been developing their relationship for a while, Campbell knows exactly how the coaching staff feels about his game and where they ultimately view him.
"Now it's just getting in conversation and pretty much catching up each week," Campbell said. "They like that I'm long, that I'm explosive and I finish blocks. I'm very fast, I move in open space real well so I think they're impressed with my play on the field.
Cregg in particular, has built a strong connection with Campbell and his family and is a coach Campbell could see himself playing for one day.
"Coach Cregg is a great dude, me and my family love him and he's a guy I could see myself playing for,” Campbell said. “He knows what he's doing obviously, having the Joe Moore award and coached some really talented players from Tyron Smith to that whole offensive line this year.”
At 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, Campbell takes pride in his technique and pass block ability. In talks with Cregg and Orgeron, Campbell has been told the Tigers view him as a future left tackle with the program.
"With my athletic ability, I can adjust to your speed rush, your skinny defensive ends and then I'm also big enough to handle your 6'5, 270 defensive ends at the same time," Campbell said. "I come off the ball really well, I roll my hips and I finish my blocks and I just try to be nasty on the field. I'm a nice guy off the field but when it comes time to play I try and flip a switch."
Campbell has spent the 2020 offseason before his junior season in the weight room, most notably working on his upper body strength.
"I want to be able to move people even better than I can already and my trainer is coming in town this weekend so we'll spend two or three days working on drills," Campbell said. "You can always get better and I feel like I had a good sophomore season but I want to have a great junior season and an excellent senior season."
At the end of the day, Campbell's immediate main goal is to help lead Neville to its first state championship since 2015, when Rashard Lawrence led the Tigers to an undefeated state title.
Neville has been bounced in the state semi-finals the last two years but return a strong nucleus in 2020.
"We're going to change that for sure," Campbell said. "I really want to continue to be a leader for my team and help us win a state title next year."
Campbell, the No. 3 ranked offensive tackle in the class and No. 47 player overall, has spent quite a bit of time in Baton Rouge, attending two games and been to about two or three Junior Days as well.
"It's exciting, obviously it's one of the loudest stadiums in college football and it's just cool because I know a lot of people that go to LSU," Campbell said. "I'm on the field before the game and I look up and see kids I went to high school with. It's nice that I know a lot of people there and it's just a great atmosphere."
When Campbell is able to tune into an LSU game or any football in general, he naturally gravitates to watching the offensive line. When studying the Tigers' front line in 2019, Saahdiq Charles was a guy that always popped on the screen.
"Coach Cregg told me and my family that really he [Charles] i a guard height wise but he's so athletic and strong that he can really stand anybody up that he wanted to," Campbell said.
Playing in front of his family and friends in Louisiana is a natural appeal to Campbell and really any prospect that is thinking of staying close to home.
"It would be super cool just having all my friends there and having it close by would be a positive," Campbell said. "But right now I'm not ready to make any decisions yet. I'll make the decision that's best for me at the right time and live my choice."
