JaDon Blair previews commitment, discusses final 6 in detail
Mount Tabor (North Carolina) four-star safety JaDon Blair is set to announce his college commitment Friday.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound defensive back is rated the nation's No. 85 overall prospect and No. 8 safety in the 2025 class.
So, who will land the coveted safety?
Blair is down to a final six of Florida State, Louisville, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and South Carolina, and broke down each of his finalists ahead of his decision.
Florida State Seminoles: “That brotherhood that they have, it’s a great brotherhood. Not too many places have a brotherhood like Florida State. Coach (Mike) Norvell, he’s an energetic guy. He’s going to tell you, ‘good morning’ every single day. And I’m not just talking about in the morning… it’ll be like 10 in the evening and he’ll greet you, ‘good morning’ - morning, noon and night. I see why the team picks up on that and why they have so much love around that program and fight so hard when they go to battle.”
“Coach Pat Surtain… I mean, Pro Bowler. One of the greats in the NFL. He’s a great teacher and the chance to learn from a guy like that with his experience, not too many programs offer that.”
Louisville Cardinals: “The Cardinals were on me really early. Coach (Mark) Ivey, the linebacker coach, and coach (Jeff) Brohm... I love what they are doing up there. They are really turning the program around.”
“When I got to see them, I thought coach (Ron) English was really passionate about what he does. Seeing that type of passion and that desire not to lose, I love that about Louisville. That’s a great environment to be around.”
Michigan Wolverines: “They are very detailed and specific in what they do. Not many schools are like them. It speaks for itself why they won a national championship and continue to have success.”
"Coach (Lamar) Morgan is great at teaching fundamentals and he’ll literally do it for you to show you how it’s done. He’ll keep coaching you until you do it exactly how he wants it done. "
"Coach Wink (Martindale), he’s coached some of the greats. It’s hard to beat that and it’s hard to match that.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: “Coach (Mike) Mickens and coach Al Golden are geniuses on defense, especially Coach Golden. He has this whole board of things to do. He’s very specific on how to tackle, ways to strip the ball, the right angles to take, and all of that translates to the NFL.”
“Coach Mickens, the way he teaches it, it’s really easy to pick up on. From all of the visits I’ve been to and gotten to see coaches coach, I pick up on things, but not as fast as when it comes from Coach Mickens. That’s how you get on the field, and I believe he can help me do that.”
“Coach (Marcus) Freeman, another one of my favorite head coaches because of the guy he is as a person.”
Penn State Nittany Lions: “They were my second offer, so they hold a special place in my heart. The type of defense they run is not like many programs. There aren’t a lot of programs with the energy on defense that they have. In my opinion, Penn State is known for its defense.”
“Coach (Anthony) Poindexter… what he’s doing with his safeties. He’s got three guys that could go the NFL if they wanted to. That speaks to not only how good they are, but the development under coach Poindexter - on field and in the weight room.”
“Coach (James) Franklin is one of the great head coaches.”
“Penn State is a great overall program, and when we’re talking defense I will always bring up Penn State because they are great at that.”
South Carolina Gamecocks: “Coach (Torrian) Gray is a great coach, in my opinion. He’s known as one of those guys coaching (defensive backs) and there’s proof. He’s developed two All-American safeties. And I believe he can do the same with me, because he keeps doing it. He keeps getting his guys on the field. He’s going to be hard on you, but he’s going to love you and be in the film room with you and teach you stuff.”
“Coach (Shane) Beamer might be my favorite head coach. He’s a great guy. He doesn’t act Hollywood, or like he’s above you. He’s going to act like a normal person, and that’s since the first time I met him. He’s one of the best guys to be around.”
ANDREW NEMEC