Interview: Mississippi’s biggest OL/DL sleeper recruit Preston Haynes unearthed

If you are ever in Desoto County Mississippi on a Friday night during the fall of 2015, do yourself a favor and checkout a Lewisburg High School football game. The Patriots’ 2014 season in terms of a win-loss record will not drive the masses to the stadium but tucked away in Olive Branch, Mississippi are two sleeper recruits who could have a big impact on the collegiate level, quarterback Jake Harville and offensive and defensive lineman W. Preston Haynes.

Harville, at 6’4”, 210 pounds, did his best to try to will the Patriots beyond their 4-8 record last year. Keeping Harville’s backside clean while opening holes for the dual-threat was massive 6’5”, 310 pound, tackle Preston Haynes. The Class of 2016 signal caller threw for nearly 3,000 yards with 33 touchdowns and ran for another 841 yards with another 14 scores.

Haynes was the anchor on the line that helped pave the way for 2,937 passing yards and another 2,092 team rushing yards. Playing ironman football Haynes also took over on the defensive line after season ending injuries to both starting defensive tackles in Game 1.

Watching Haynes game film while on defense, one can quickly spot the raw talent and power that only needs a little bit of polish before becoming an elite player. On offense Haynes is a true trench hog enjoying the battle snap after snap racking up pancake blocks and moving capable young Mississippi high school defenders out of his way helping his team move the chains play after play.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview we sat down with Preston Haynes getting an overview on the 2014 season, an understanding of how his recruiting has gone to date, and what he is doing in the offseason to prepare for his 2015 senior campaign.

 

Preston, gotta start with the tough stuff first. In 2014 Lewisburg was 4-8. It was a rough season I’m sure. Give us a rundown of how the season went for the team and for you.

“I started out last spring getting some reps on the D-line. I liked it. I thought “hey, this is what I want to do.” We get into fall practice, I’m still working out doing defensive line drills and loving it. When the season rolled around they told me I was going to play a lot both ways. In the first game of the season two of our defensive linemen go down with season ending injuries, one had a broken collar bone and the other an ACL tear. They were seniors and both really good. I was next up in line. I liked it. It didn’t feel as natural as the O-line but I liked it.

“Our first game was a warm-up game, we played well. We played a 3-A team. I got two sacks and a couple of tackles. We thought we were going to have a good season because they were the best 3A teams in the state. When we played Desoto Central they had some great guys like Cortez Sisco and Tre Span. We played them, that was the first time I’ve ever really gone up against someone my size. I lined up against Dareuan Parker (6’5”, 320 lbs), he’s committed to Mississippi State. It was an even game between the two of us. I got a couple of tackles and a couple of sacks. A couple of times he put me on my butt.

“In the Corinth game, that was my game. I owned the defensive line. I had something like 12 tackles with three of those for a loss. Not sure what sparked me that game. I left it all out on the field. That was my best game ever.

“As the season went on, around midseason I got the idea I did not have to bull rush all the time, I can use my hands to get around my guy. We had a guy come in as a guest coach for a week. He was helping me with my hands. He taught me when to do a swim move and a spin move. From there I felt like I had a one up on the big 300 pound tackles we were playing.

“My stats kept racking up. Good plays and bad plays. In the second to last game of the season against Saltillo, I decide that I wanted to do a spin move on a tackle. When I did a big fullback came around, we hit. I got dizzy. I know I have a concussion. I don’t remember the rest of the game. They scored a touchdown and then they went for 2-point conversion. I hit another guy head to head a couple of plays later, made the concussion worst. I missed the last game of the season due to the concussion.

“I had played hurt with different injuries most of the season. I partially tore my ACL, played two games before I knew what was wrong with it and had a collar bone injury.”

Are you okay now after having a concussion?

“I’m fine now. My trainer said it was one of the worst concussions he had ever seen. I was sitting under the scoreboard I couldn’t read it. He was holding up two fingers and I said five.”

What about some of the other injuries you had that was nagging you all season?

“I fractured the rear end of my collar bone. I played through it. Didn’t know anything was wrong. About a month later the doctor saw it, he let me play anyway because I had already played. I’m all good now.”

You guys have been going through spring ball for a while now. How does the team look heading into next year?

“I think we’re more physical than last year, for sure. This team is getting after it and wanting to hit people. I think our O-line will be better if we can stay healthy. A couple of guys have planter fasciitis and have missed practice time; it’s a day to day thing. Our D-line will be better. We have more speed up there.

We have one of the best QBs in the state and some good running backs. We’ll run the ball a lot this year. We graduated three receivers, two of them were all-conference. They will be missed.”

You guys have a spring game coming up right?

“Our spring game is Thursday. We’ve been practicing since April 15. Three weeks of practice. In Mississippi we have to go three days of shells before putting on full pads.”

Who are you guys playing in the spring game?

“We’re playing two different teams in a jamboree, one half against both teams. We played Lafayette and Senatobia.”

Are you playing both ways this spring?

“No, I have not taken any defensive reps in the spring. In the fall he’ll work me a little bit there to help give the starters a break. Coach said, “We need you more on offense than on defense.” If we lose someone I’ll play both ways. I like the playing time, I’m not complaining.”

What are your strengths on the field at offensive tackle?

“I feel like I’m quicker than most guys, especially for my size. The guys we go against in practice are pretty quick. It’s good for me going into the games to get reps against quicker guys. Being strong I can move people around pretty good. I feel like my pad level is pretty good for my height. I like to hit. I like to lay people out. That’s one of my favorite things to do. I could work on my footwork, it’s pretty good but there is always room to improve on everything.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“As a team, my goal is to make the playoffs. Our head coach (Butch Veazey), this is his last year he’s been coaching for close to 40 years. I want to give it everything I got to make this season one for him to remember when he leaves. You’re going to have good and bad seasons as a coach. We had a senior team meeting. In the meeting we decided we don’t want to be one of his bad teams that he remembers.”

What are your personal goals for your senior season?

“My goal is to be a leader on and off the field. I want to help these guys be better people on and off the field. Make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do in the classroom and stay out of trouble. I want our team to look good on and off the field. And of course, I want to get as many offers as I can. That’s the goal everybody has.”

You mentioned offers, let’s talk recruiting. Which schools are showing interest in you right now?

“Central Arkansas came down last week. Memphis and UT-Martin came down. I get emails from hundreds of schools. Troy, they came to practice. They’ve been communicating with me via our quarterback. As of last Wednesday, Itawamba (JUCO) gave me my first offer. I never got any mail from them. Their coach showed up at practice, saw me work, and threw an offer out on the table. Arkansas State has showed interest as well.”

Are you going to any one-day college camps this summer?

“I’ve signed up for four camps, a couple at the end of May and some in June. I average 20 camp invites a day. Coaches are texting me via Twitter. Everyday the last couple of months I’m getting invites. I’ve narrowed it down to Central Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and I’m going to a lineman camp at Tennessee State. I’m going to Memphis, they’ve invited me. I’ll go down to Itawamba too.”

When you pick a college to attend, what will influence that decision?

“The most important thing will be the academics. There is always the possibility to play pro ball but it’s so slim it’s not something I’m going to focus on. The education that I get will carry me all the way through my life. No. 2 would be the location and the environment I’ll be in. I want to stay in the south. Somewhere like Florida, South Carolina, or Missouri is fine, they’re relatively in the south. Unless Oregon offers me, then I’ll go play there.

“I don’t want to be stuck at a university for four years that I don’t get along with the coaches and be miserable. I want to enjoy playing football.”

You mentioned academics being important to you, do you know what you want your major to be yet?

“I’m not sure yet. I have two different fields I’m interested in. My family has a long line of aircraft mechanics with Boeing or in the military. I kind of want to major in aero space engineering or something with aircrafts. I’m also interested in being a sports trainer. I love sports so much, why not help kids get better. I kind of feel like I’d be returning the favor by helping kids.”

What have you been doing in the offseason to prepare for the college camps and for your senior year?

“I’ve had a really busy offseason so far. Since the season ended, the very first day I brought my workout stuff to start training. After I turned in my pads I went and worked out. I work out five days a week. Three days I go to a personal trainer. My buddy and I, we run 2.5 miles and we do 700 jump ropes in warm-ups. Then we flip tires, do monster pushups, or something like that.

“We play the push up game. Our trainer uses two decks of cards. Whatever is on the card you do that many push-ups. At the end of the day you’re doing 200-300 pushups. That’s some of what I’ve been doing. I’ve stayed in pretty good shape running 2.5 miles a day. I’ve been working on my footwork too.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“My favorite part about playing football, one is I get to be as mean as I possibly can and not get in trouble for it. My second favorite part is the relationships I build with my teammates. They’re not my teammates they’re my family.”

 

Preston’s future is unclear but one thing is for certain, he has the size, ruggedness, and raw ability to play at the next level. He also has the strength. Some guys Preston’s size are just big boys who eat a lot and have an advantage in high school playing against smaller guys. Not this hidden recruiting gem. Haynes has a bench press max of 340 and a squat max of 500.

Another thing in Preston’s favor is his determination to be better and succeed. Again, he has the size. He could easily just walk out on the field and hold his own against most high school players on either side of the line all next season, but that’s not Preston’s style. Given another year in the weight room he could be ready to physically compete for playing time at a Power 5 Conference school.

The next question that needs to be answered is which Power 5 program will pull the trigger landing one of the hidden talents in the 2016 recruiting class?

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: Preston Haynes; No. 79 Preston Haynes

Photo credit: Preston Haynes; Preston runs at a NCSA camp.