Interview: 2018 California QB Re-al Mitchell gives Recruiting Update Ahead of May 1 Announcement

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

A big decision is looming ahead for Class of 2018 quarterback Re-al Mitchell. Some lucky college will get the No. 1 ranked QBHitList.com dual-threat quarterback in the nation come Monday, May 1. With days left until his verbal commitment, one school out of 18 reported schools to extend a scholarship offer will wrap up one of the top talents in the nation, but which program will be the lucky winner?

Mitchell should serve as a beacon of light for those high school and junior college players in need of hope for their future. Few have found themselves caught in as unique a situation as Mitchell. The extremely athletic playmaker lit up opposing California defenses for St. John Bosco during the 2016 season passing for 2,932 yards with 30 touchdowns. If his ability to move the chains with his arm is not enough, his blazing speed crushed CIF Division I defenses tucking the ball 152 times for 1,058 yards crossing the goal line 15 times. The result of his efforts and hard work helped guide a very talented Braves team to a 13-2 record, a California state title, and a No. 2 ranking in the country per MaxPreps.

All the productivity on the field was seemingly taken for granted, especially right after the 2016 campaign. At the end of November, Mitchell had just three offers; Utah, Cal Poly, and Arizona. By the time he showed out at the Under Armour All-American Camp in late February, his offer sheet had grown to seven with Iowa State, Rutgers, New Mexico, and Northwestern seeing the proverbial light. Now the recruiting floodgates have fully opened with Hawaii, South Carolina, Central Florida, San Jose State, Old Dominion, Air Force, Colorado State, Connecticut, Fresno State, Illinois, and UNLV wanting to be in the mix for the 6-0, 190 pound, high school star.

The decision Mitchell makes on May 1 will not have been taken lightly. Unofficial visits have been made to Iowa State, Connecticut, and Rutgers in the weeks leading up to his announcement date. In an attempt to gain insight on which program may be in the lead for Mitchell’s commitment, I sat down for a one-on-one covering his April 14 visit to UConn, April 15 visit to Rutgers, and how he is breaking down all of the schools on his list.

Interview

Re-al, the big day is coming for you on May 1. How are you going to announce your commitment?

“I will announce on Twitter. That is the norm now-a-days.”

What time do you plan on posting your commitment?

“At 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.”

Is there a significance for you picking May 1?

“Nope. Not really. I think when I announced it a month ago, I wanted to commit soon. I thought that would be good. I thought at about the 11th but then thought nah.”

Easy to assume that you have already picked your school, but maybe not. Have you already decided on which school you will commit to on May 1?

“Kind of sorta. It is coming down to the wire. There is a lot more pressure from the schools and new schools are popping up.”

Which programs are the new ones popping up?

“Nebraska, North Carolina, and Purdue.”

Do you have a Top 3?

“All the schools are at an even point going into the home stretch.”

So, there is not a lucky school out there who already knows that you are committing to them?

“No. I’m not a silent commit (laughs).”

You just recently visited UConn (April 14) and Rutgers (April 15). How did the UConn visit go?

“I was tired on that day. Jet lag hit me. It was a shorter day than Rutgers. We saw their facilities and the campus. They have a new coaching staff with Coach (Randy) Edsall (head coach) and Coach (Rhett) Lashlee (offensive coordinator) there. Coach Lashlee coached up Cam Newton and Nick Marshall at Auburn. That was impressive.

“I was there for a practice. It was cool to see the interactions between the coaches and the players. I sat down with Coach Lashlee for a while. We went over film together. I was relating their offense back to my offense. It was a quicker day than Rutgers but I enjoyed it.”

What about Rutgers? How did that visit go?

“It was cool. I really liked Coach (Jerry) Kill. He is their new offensive coordinator. Each school I have visited, I have liked certain parts of it. Rutgers has a top-notch business school being so close to New York. Their fan base is pretty big. I have been getting a lot of direct messages from their fans and a lot of tweets from their fans. All the schools are similar with their facilities. At Rutgers, they have some big plans for the future.”

How will you come to the decision to pick your school?

“How I will do it, the schools that are interested in me have not offered me yet so that takes care of that. The schools that have offered me, they are all in the same situation trying to establish themselves to become a top team. I am evaluating each the same. I know the first two years might not be as successful as it might be at other schools but the future at each is very promising. I want a place that feels like home to me and where I have the best relationship with the coaches. All the schools are kind of the same within their conference and how they are doing.”

As soon as you commit, are you going to start recruiting others players to join you?

“Yes, sir. That is definitely part of the plan.”

Once you announce your commitment, are you going to shutdown recruiting by and large?

“I’m not necessarily going to shut it down. If a college wants to talk to me, I will not shoo them away. Once I commit, that is a pretty strong commitment. I do not plan on changing but I’m not going to shut it down.”

How is track season going?

“It is going. I started about five weeks ago. I have been focused on honing my skills as a quarterback. I started way late, but it is going pretty good. We have league prelims on Thursday. I am looking forward to that meet. Iowa State and UConn will be at that meet.”

How are your off-season workouts going?

“Pretty good. Today was our first day of spring ball on the field. We did a lot of “hard” installations. Coach Johnson’s wife is pregnant. They are expecting next Saturday. In case he has to miss some practices, we have installed the harder plays right away. The o-line, running backs, and quarterbacks, we handled our duties well. We are doing one-on-ones right now to see who can shine now. It is competitive out there. I am excited.”

Are you getting hyped for Bosco’s Spring Showcase on May 17?

“I am excited. It will be a different feel from other years. I probably will not be as nervous. I will be in a unique situation being committed. I am not expecting a whole bunch but we will see.”

Are there any other schools that are coming by to see you at practice this spring?

“Nebraska was there on Tuesday. They saw me throw and then we talked. On May 4, North Carolina is coming. That will be weird. I don’t know about Purdue. All the schools that I have offers from are planning to come up in the next couple of days before I commit.”

Re-al, thanks for your time today and good luck with your commitment.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; Re-al Mitchell at an Under Armour All-American camp.

Photo credit: Mitchell family; Re-al Mitchell with UConn OC Rhett Lashlee