Pretty cool article. I'm pumped to have this kid coming to UC and it has an interview with him at the bottom. I'll have to listen to it when I get home.
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http://cincinnati.com/blogs/presspreps/2...s-pay-off/
“I consider him the sleeper of this class,” University of Cincinnati head football coach Butch Jones said.
Those remarks were about Brandon Mitchell of Withrow High School Feb. 2 (National Signing Day).
For those who had any reservations about Mitchell (and not many did since he was listed as a “three-star recruit” by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com) that should be enough ammunition.
In Mitchell’s case, a summer verbal commitment stood. Prior to that, his services were sought by Ball State, Western Kentucky, Akron, Western Michigan, Kent State and Bowling Green. That list might not floor you, but most college coaches don’t define their recruits by “stars” or by who else has recruited them.
The staff at UC believes they have a special find in Mitchell, and the 6-2, 290 pound lineman is enthusiastic about staying in town. The decision was for his current family and for his “new family.”
“It took a lot of thought,” Mitchell said. “I had to go to the campus a couple of times to get a feel for it. I got real, real comfortable with the coaches, the players. I talked with my family about it and they felt good about it. They’ve got a really good family environment. It was the family atmosphere they gave me up there that really convinced me.”
Provided Withrow's Brandon Mitchell signed to play defensive line for the UC Bearcats. He's also a highly-skilled wrestler in the 285-pound class.
“Even though I’m coming here, I’m not just a football player; I’m part of that team, part of that family,” Mitchell said. “Even after I leave, I’ll have people there to back me if I need it.”
Of course, switching to a field no more than 10 minutes away from Withrow has its advantages, for Mitchell and his fans.
“They can come right down the street and watch me play football,” Mitchell said. “D-tackle, causing wreckage.”
The talk sounds arrogant, but it’s really just confidence oozing from a guy that appears to be the “gentle giant.” However, several area offensive linemen and quarterbacks can attest to the fact that Mitchell wasn’t so gentle on the field.
As the only two-way starter for the Withrow Tigers, Mitchell has a clear preference – he’d rather chase the quarterback than block.
“It’s definitely more fun to sack a quarterback,” Mitchell said. “Blocking’s OK but, knowing you’ve got the QB and that’s the top man on the other side of the ball, it feels better.”
A lot of Mitchell’s technique comes from the sheer strength of being a 300-pound (during football season) man. What some might not know is that Mitchell has some extra agility and balance from another sports he’s participated in for some time.
He’s one of the area’s best wrestlers in the 285-pound class.
Mitchell’s been wrestling since he was in seventh grade and is listed with just two defeats at press time (including one to Elder’s Nick Nusekabal in overtime; he’s hoping to get that one back before the season’s up).
“It helps with my balance and my lateral movement,” said Mitchell of his mat skills. “It helps me get inside and move people out of the way more often than usual. I feel like when you wrestle, you have an advantage over people with those skills that you have.”
Among those that have seen Mitchell wrestle is UC associate head coach Kerry Coombs. Coombs is also in charge of rounding up local recruits like Mitchell and knows the local football scene like the back of his hand.
“Before he ever gets on the mat, he does an hour of study table,” Coombs said. “Then, he moves all the tables out of the cafeteria. Then, he puts the mats down on the floor. He spends two hours just getting ready to practice wrestling.”
“Then, he practices for four hours,” Coombs said. “He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t have any ‘star complex.’ He just gets up and does his work each day.”
Coombs raved more about Mitchell than any of the other local products.
“He’s the same kid day after day after day,” Coombs said. “His mom’s done a tremendous job raising him. He is going to be the guy that everybody talks about a couple years from now in this class. He’s going to be a dominant force in the middle of our defense.”
Mitchell has already met a number of current Bearcats and has his hopes set on joining them on the field this fall. That’s on the field, not just the sidelines.
“I feel if I work hard enough and show what I can to do in practice and off-season training, I’ll probably have a good chance of starting this season,” Mitchell said.
He has seen up close and personal how the Bearcats practice. In fact, one preseason practice in particular sold him on the team before he had even played a down for Withrow his senior season.
“What really sold me was probably one practice I went to at Higher Ground,” said Mitchell. “I saw them playing football, and I saw how much family atmosphere was up there, how good they treated one another and the intensity.”
Some see structure and discipline and run, others like Mitchell, embrace it. Those attributes have served Mitchell well and Coombs again credits Mitchell’s wrestling background for his external and internal toughness.
“I find the area that it helps most in is that you are all alone on that mat,” Coombs said. “You’ve got to stand tall and have tremendous courage to wrestle in any class. If you’re like Brandon at 285 and you’re working to make that weight each week — the discipline involved — I think he’s just going to be a phenomenal player for us.”
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Mitchell’s Withrow mat moves pay off
