I am back after eight days in Mexico and then five days dealing with COVID (not me, but first my wife right when we returned to New Orleans and then my son a few days later, forcing me to do all the shopping and cooking). I just talked to Oliver Mitchell and plan to talk to as many of the recruits (some who committed like Mitchell) who visited this past weekend as possible.
Here is my interview with Mitchell, a very rare Karr commitment: Obviously the December signing period is a long way away, but If anyone knows who the last Karr signee was, post it here. Rivals rates him three stars while ON3 and 247 do not rate him, but it sure looks like Rivals has it right. Look for him to have a big senior year, which could draw more recruiting attention, a topic he addressed at the end of the interview.
On why he chose Tulane:
“It’s an elite academic school, and that’s important to me. The coaches, (wide receivers) coach Carter (Sheridan) and (running backs( coach Brock (Hays), they are my dogs. They are from New Orleans, so building a bond with the coaches on a deeper level than just football, being able to have a person to go talk to whenever I had a problem going on or anything like that. The culture around there. There’s nothing like New Orleans. I hear a lot of people there’s nothing like New Orleans. Being a hometown kid from New Orleans, it was just like why not? It’s a great experience. It’s one of the best programs in the nation.”
On comfort factor:
“I felt extremely comfortable. Coach Carter was my first D1 offer. He came in the building (last year as part of Willie Fritz’s staff) and immediately started scouting me and started recruiting me right off the bat because he saw how hard I was working and things like that, and then on top of that, he is one of the realest people you will ever meet. He has no filter. He’s going to tell you the full, honest truth at all times.”
On how much he likes the current staff:
“Coach Brock has transferred in from Troy. On top of that coach Sumrall was a proven winner at Troy, so they are bringing that to Tulane. Coach Carter has more than enough experience dealing with great receivers. Malik Nabors, Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase, people like that, so it’s like why would I not want to work under somebody with that type of background.”
On his best assets:
"I feel like I need to improve my speed. I need to get a lot faster and get more twitchy with my route running. My route running and my hands are my top two best aspects as a receiver right now. I feel like I have some of the best hands in the nation."
On Karr wanting to bounce back from rare "down" year (it got blown out by John Curtis and lost to Acadiana in the semifinals of the state playoffs):
“Our motto this year is reclaim. That means we want to reclaim the championship that was already ours that got taken away. We just want to reclaim that and bring that back to the new building.”
On Karr preparing him for big-time college football:
“It’s a great opportunity first off. You come here and they’ll prepare you for college right off the bat. You’re working out all the time. You’re eating great meals. You are recovering your body. Underneath coach Brice (Brown), he has so many connections, it’s ridiculous. He’s one of the best coaches in the nation, if not the best in my eyes. He had dealt with the No. 1 player in the nation before with Speedy Noil. He has dealt with five-star recruits like Destyn Hill and then Aaron Anderson. Like Racey McMath, the dude is in the NFL right now. He has dealt with top guys in my position, so why not just lean towards him to be my mentor in this sport that I love so much and learn from him."
On his Tulane visit:
"I went Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The vibe was great. The dudes that were with me, Dennis (Uzochukwu) and Antwaun (Parham), they were relatable, cool dudes and possess great talent as well, the same as me, so it’s like everything is going to be great. I’m going to be ready to work when I get there."
On staying in New Orleans:
"It’s a great opportunity because my mom and dad always stressed they wanted to come to my games once I get to college. They want to be able to experience it, and Tulane is becoming a powerhouse. They have been succeeding tremendously the last couple of years, so having that caliber of school come recruit me and to be able to commit and stay home, it’s a big help to my parents on top of me."
On if his recruiting is over:
"Honestly I love where I am right now, so the chances are very slim that I do take another visit.”
Here is my interview with Mitchell, a very rare Karr commitment: Obviously the December signing period is a long way away, but If anyone knows who the last Karr signee was, post it here. Rivals rates him three stars while ON3 and 247 do not rate him, but it sure looks like Rivals has it right. Look for him to have a big senior year, which could draw more recruiting attention, a topic he addressed at the end of the interview.
On why he chose Tulane:
“It’s an elite academic school, and that’s important to me. The coaches, (wide receivers) coach Carter (Sheridan) and (running backs( coach Brock (Hays), they are my dogs. They are from New Orleans, so building a bond with the coaches on a deeper level than just football, being able to have a person to go talk to whenever I had a problem going on or anything like that. The culture around there. There’s nothing like New Orleans. I hear a lot of people there’s nothing like New Orleans. Being a hometown kid from New Orleans, it was just like why not? It’s a great experience. It’s one of the best programs in the nation.”
On comfort factor:
“I felt extremely comfortable. Coach Carter was my first D1 offer. He came in the building (last year as part of Willie Fritz’s staff) and immediately started scouting me and started recruiting me right off the bat because he saw how hard I was working and things like that, and then on top of that, he is one of the realest people you will ever meet. He has no filter. He’s going to tell you the full, honest truth at all times.”
On how much he likes the current staff:
“Coach Brock has transferred in from Troy. On top of that coach Sumrall was a proven winner at Troy, so they are bringing that to Tulane. Coach Carter has more than enough experience dealing with great receivers. Malik Nabors, Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase, people like that, so it’s like why would I not want to work under somebody with that type of background.”
On his best assets:
"I feel like I need to improve my speed. I need to get a lot faster and get more twitchy with my route running. My route running and my hands are my top two best aspects as a receiver right now. I feel like I have some of the best hands in the nation."
On Karr wanting to bounce back from rare "down" year (it got blown out by John Curtis and lost to Acadiana in the semifinals of the state playoffs):
“Our motto this year is reclaim. That means we want to reclaim the championship that was already ours that got taken away. We just want to reclaim that and bring that back to the new building.”
On Karr preparing him for big-time college football:
“It’s a great opportunity first off. You come here and they’ll prepare you for college right off the bat. You’re working out all the time. You’re eating great meals. You are recovering your body. Underneath coach Brice (Brown), he has so many connections, it’s ridiculous. He’s one of the best coaches in the nation, if not the best in my eyes. He had dealt with the No. 1 player in the nation before with Speedy Noil. He has dealt with five-star recruits like Destyn Hill and then Aaron Anderson. Like Racey McMath, the dude is in the NFL right now. He has dealt with top guys in my position, so why not just lean towards him to be my mentor in this sport that I love so much and learn from him."
On his Tulane visit:
"I went Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The vibe was great. The dudes that were with me, Dennis (Uzochukwu) and Antwaun (Parham), they were relatable, cool dudes and possess great talent as well, the same as me, so it’s like everything is going to be great. I’m going to be ready to work when I get there."
On staying in New Orleans:
"It’s a great opportunity because my mom and dad always stressed they wanted to come to my games once I get to college. They want to be able to experience it, and Tulane is becoming a powerhouse. They have been succeeding tremendously the last couple of years, so having that caliber of school come recruit me and to be able to commit and stay home, it’s a big help to my parents on top of me."
On if his recruiting is over:
"Honestly I love where I am right now, so the chances are very slim that I do take another visit.”
