The talent pool at East Lake will arguably be the deepest of any school in the Tampa Bay area. Names like 2013 Pete DiNovo, 2014 Artavis Scott, 2014 Mason Cole and 2014 Brenden Goettel headline the Eagles, who are stacked for the next couple of years.
Freshman George Campbell is the next rising star that will come out of East Lake. The three-sport athlete stands 6-feet 5-inches tall and possesses a football IQ that far exceeds his age.
Campbell says that he is receiving interest from UCLA, Oregon State, Florida, Clemson, Indiana, Louisville, Florida State and USF. He says he is attending Florida State’s summer camp and is planning on attending a Florida spring game or practice. In addition, Campbell says he is in the midst of planning a summer recruiting trip.
He started reading coverages with his uncle, whom Campbell lives with, at a very young age. A few years later Campbell ran into his cousin, a former coach at Dunedin High School, who taught him fundamentals and how to play the game the right way.
His uncle, Ahmad Jackson, introduced the game to Campbell.
“I started reading coverages really early and then from there I just wanted to keep playing football,” the 180-pounder said. “Now Pete [DiNovo] and Tay [Artavis Scott] push me to work hard every day.”
Campbell looks up to DiNovo and rising juniors Scott and Cole, who both hold early offers to Florida State University.
“They’re like my older brothers,” he says. “It just shows me that if I work as hard as them that I could be in their position a few years down the road.”
Campbell spent most of his freshman season playing safety, but at 6-feet 5-inches tall and 180 pounds he could grow into a defensive end. He saw little time playing wide receiver, but that’s another spot he says he has the ball skills and ability to play.
A legitimate football prospect, Campbell could also have a future in basketball. The freshman was the fourth-leading scorer and rebounder for East Lake scoring 12 or more points in five games, and double-digit rebounds twice.
He was invited to participate on the Under Armour All-Star team. While he is unsure if he will play on the UA team, Campbell says college basketball is something he has definitely considered.
“Yeah – I’m actually thinking about trying to get a dual scholarship for college; I feel that I have a chance to go play college in both sports,” Campbell says although the decision is a long ways away. “That would definitely be a decision I would have to make down the road.”
The sports complement each other.
“With basketball, football helps me keep my speed. Going into basketball it’s the same because during football I work out a lot so it helps with my strength at basketball,” he says. “It helps a lot carrying my ball around and with my overall jumping.”
Campbell runs a 4.6 forty-yard dash and says that he expects to continue to grow both in size and strength.
“Well, doctors told me I wasn’t going to grow anymore last year, but I grew two inches so I think I’ll keep going.”
Campbell is a dynamic athlete and play-maker. He will be a fun prospect to follow over the coming years.
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Kyle is a recruiting analyst for Big County Preps. You can email him at Bennett@bigcountypreps.com and follow him on Twitter @KyleBennettBCP.