Javeon Campbell’s High School Coach Says His Commitment is ‘Monumental for the State of Kentucky’

Two years ago, Javeon Campbell was focused on high school basketball. The all-time leading scorer at Western Hills (Frankfort, KY) was proving to be one of the best players in the county. Fast forward to today and Campbell is the No. 1-ranked football prospect in the state of Kentucky, committing to his home-state school.

Campbell, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive lineman, is ranked as the No. 167 overall prospect in the nation. KSR+ caught up with Western Hills head football coach Simon Vanderpool ahead of Campbell’s commitment to Kentucky to talk about the Cats’ newest pledge.

“It’s something that really is monumental. It’s really big for our program and our county, but I think it’s monumental for the state of Kentucky,” Vanderpool said. “This Is a kid who was a basketball kid and took the opportunity to go and play football. It’s really worked out for him. When coaches are going and recruiting the halls, getting kids to come out and play at Kentucky, they’re going to be using his story for years and years to come.”

Becoming a Football Player

Before even making the switch from basketball to football, Javeon Campbell had earned his first scholarship offer. Eastern Kentucky saw him play basketball and offered him based on his athleticism alone.

“Watching him on the court, I could tell that he was a very, very special athlete,” Vanderpool said. “I knew, watching him, that he was just different.”

Vanderpool convinced Campbell to try football that spring. He immediately showed off his innate skills for the game. From the first minute on the field, Campbell showed the kind of player he could be.

“His very first varsity snap was a sack. That was a neat thing,” Vanderpool said. “He naturally has a knack for where the football is. He ended up with 14.5 sacks his first year and was always around the ball.”

Later in the season, Western Hills was facing its biggest rival in a crosstown matchup. That was when Campbell made perhaps the biggest play of his football career to this point.

“They broke it for a big play, he ended up running it down and chasing it down for like 40 yards,” Vanderpool said. “When you see somebody that’s 265 [pounds], running a little skill kid down, that’s always really special.”

‘He Has a Tremendous, Tremendous Ceiling for Growth’

With one football season under his belt, Javeon Campbell has a lot more room to grow. His potential in the SEC is sky-high.

“With all of his strengths and weaknesses, he has a tremendous, tremendous ceiling for growth,” Vanderpool said. “He’s exactly what you look for in a defensive lineman in the SEC. If he was in this year’s NFL Draft, he would’ve been top-five in every category of the NFL Combine measurables.”

Campell’s length is unmatched by most at the high school level. He has an 83.5-inch wingspan and has shown to be a coachable player.

“He’ll do exactly what you tell him to do,” Vanderpool said. “That’s one of the things you look for as a coach because then you know you can get that kid to his fullest potential. He’s got a lot of really, really exciting things. More than anything, the character is what stands out the most.”

Then, there’s his personality. Vanderpool said Campbell is “exactly what you look for to represent your program.”

“The more a fanbase gets around him, the more they’re going to buy into the type of kid he is,” Vanderpool said. “He received a ton of attention, but he’s remained the same person throughout all of it. He’s still got the same smile. He’s a good kid to be around. Whenever you get the opportunity to be around him, then it all starts to make sense.”

Kentucky Has Been There From the Beginning

Kentucky has believed in Javeon Campbell since before he was even committed to football full-time. UK’s defensive line coach Anwar Stewart and defensive coordinator Brad White even attended one of Campbell’s basketball games last season.

“With any kid growing up in any state, it means a whole lot whenever your state school gives you the opportunity to play for them,” Vanderpool said. “For him, that was something that was really special.”

Former Kentucky and current New York Giants receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is an alumnus of Western Hills. Vanderpool called him “the pinnacle of Western Hills football” and he’s been involved in the process of recruiting Campbell to Ketnucky.

“That’s been really neat and really special,” Vanderpool said. “That meant a lot to him. The relationships he’s built with Coach Marrow, Coach White, and everyone. When he got offered by them, that was something that was really special.”

As far as the football side of things, Campbell will fit in at Kentucky like a glove. His ability to play multiple positions makes him “recruitable and very draftable,” Vanderpool said.

“He can play anywhere between a three and five technique, or really anywhere between a three and nine technique,” he said. “He can play off the tight end, but he’s big enough that you can bump him down to a three-technique.”

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