Interview: A Case Made for Los Angeles 2017 WR Jamire Calvin as One of the Best of the Best

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The state of California is well known for producing prolific high school quarterbacks who matriculate out across the country scorching opposing collegiate defenses. The hitch in the notoriety, to have a great quarterback a team has to have at least one great receiver and the Golden State is once again loaded with blistering talent on the outside with the 2017 recruiting class.

Per Rivals, three of the Top 10 players in the state of California in the 2016 class were wide receivers, Tyler Vaughns (Bishop Amat), Theo Howard (Westlake), and Michael Pittman (Oaks Christian). The 2017 class is continuing the trend with guys like Joseph Lewis (Augustus Hawkins), Terrell Bynum (St. John Bosco), Keyshawn Johnson Jr. (Calabasas), Osiris St. Brown (Mater Dei), and one that might be slightly overlooked, Jamire Calvin.

Calvin has all the measurables to be as good as any receiver, not only in the state of California but in the nation. Listed at 5’10”, 170 pounds, the Cathedral High School talent is deadly with the ball in his hands blistering opposing defenses for 1,000 receiving yards off 53 receptions with 17 touchdowns. Along the way, he helped the Los Angeles area team to an 11-2 record in 2015.

Besides being on a winning team and posting great offensive stats, Calvin has one other thing that helps set him apart from most of the competition, he’s a dynamic punt returner. Proving that he truly is deadly with the ball in his hands in more ways than one, Calvin racked up 522 punt returns yards taking five back to the house; yes, five punt returns taken back for a touchdown.

When the 2016 starts up, the Phantoms will have a familiar one-two punch on offense that could even further help Calvin’s case as one of the elite receivers in his class, fellow Class of 2017 teammate Andrew Tovar. The lefty swung the ball out of his hands for 3,712 total yards with 47 touchdowns during his junior season. With Tovar in the pocket and Calvin on the outside, at the very least the Phantoms will be one of the more exciting teams in the nation on offense this year.

Hard to believe Calvin might be considered overlooked considering all that he has done on the gridiron and knowing he has 10 offers from Division-I programs on the table. The teams to offer include Washington, Boston College, Washington State, Utah, Utah State, San Jose State, Fresno State, Oregon State, Colorado State, and Cal. Despite all that he has accomplished on the field so far, it is puzzling to know that some recruiting sites still have him listed as a 3-star recruit. The other thing that is kind of tough to understand is how Calvin was only first team All-League at the end of his junior year.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Calvin to go over his junior campaign, his offseason workouts, and got a recruiting news update.

Interview

Jamire, I want to make sure I got your stats correct. Did you have 522 punt return yards last year taking five back for touchdowns?

(Chuckles) “Yes.”

Wow. That is very impressive. What is your mindset back there when the ball is in the air and your team is counting on you for a big return?

“My mindset is to first catch the ball and then try to make a play the best that I can.”

Simple enough. Everyone makes a big deal about left-handed quarterbacks. Is it weird pulling in passes from Andrew Tovar?

“Catching the ball does not feel different but it does come out differently.”

You had a great season in the passing game last year, what were some of the areas of your game that improved throughout the season?

“The things that I got better at doing were playing the ball and making a play with the ball once it was in my hands.”

What are some of the strengths of your game at wide receiver?

“I think my main strength is my route running, and then making a play. I’m good at making sure I make the catch.”

What are you doing in the offseason to improve your game for your senior season?

“I’m doing a lot of receiver training, speed and agility work, and making sure my technique gets better.”

What personal goals do you have for your offseason?

“This offseason I want to gain some weight. I’d like to get up to 180 if possible. I also want to lower my 40 time.”

What is your target time in the 40-yard dash?

“I want to get it down to a low 4.4 for sure.”

Will you have a bigger role in the offense this season?

“Yeah, I’ll take on a bigger role. I’m going to play both ways, do more on offense, and be the Wildcat quarterback.”

Are you excited about getting some snaps as the Wildcat QB?

“Yeah, I did that in Pop Warner so picking it back up will be natural for me.”

Switching over to recruiting, which teams are showing the most interest in you right now?

“Right now, I think Oregon will be the next team to offer. I’m getting a lot of interest from Northwestern and UCLA as well.”

When you talk to the different college coaches, what are they telling you they like about your game?

“They are telling me they like my playmaking ability and what I can do with the ball after the catch. They like what I can do on punt returns too. They tell me I can do a lot with the ball that others don’t do and that is what they are looking for on their team.”

Do you have any plans to attend college camps coming up?

“Not that I know of. I might go to some local camps at UCLA and USC, but out of state camps I’m not sure about yet.”

Are you planning on attending any exposure camps?

“Yeah, I’m doing the Nike regional on Feb. 28 and I’ve been invited to a Rivals camp. I might do the 5-Star Challenge or the Opening this year.”

Do you have a time frame on making a decision for your verbal commitment yet?

“I’m still trying to figure everything out. Maybe I’ll do it on Signing Day and wait out the process. I’m not sure yet.”

Now that you are getting a lot of offers and you have to start thinking about the good and bad with each program, what are some of the things that are most important to you when evaluating a school?

“The things that are important to me are coaches that show interest in me and want me in their program. I want to know I have a spot in their offense and I want to know that I’ll be taken care of once on campus by the program.”

Which programs have you already made an unofficial visit to so far?

“I’ve taken trips to Washington and Notre Dame.”

Without evaluating either program, was there anything eye opening for you when you took those trips? Something that really made you start thinking about the college experience?

“Yeah, both trips were very eye opening. Both visits were fun experiences. I liked seeing how everything works. Both trips were very good experiences for me.”

Jamire, thanks for your time today and good luck with your offseason workouts and your camp schedule.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: Calvin family; Jamire at Notre Dame

Photo credit: Calvin family; Jamire at University of Washington