Prior to the dead period being imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bounds says he had visited four of his eight schools: Maryland, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Those trips, plus the relationships he’s built with the various coaches, helped him get to a place where putting the list together was feasible.
.... I just kind of looked at academics first and foremost, the schools that were strongest. I looked at the schools that were closer to home, so that weighed into my decision on which schools got to stay on my list. And then it came down to football, which schools had the best fanbases and the best facilities and the schools that would prepare me for the next level the best. All of that really weighed into it and at the end of the day I felt like these were the eight schools that I was the most comfortable with.
Asked to give his reasons behind each choice, this is what Bounds had to say about his eight finalists.
Boston College: “With BC, I like Coach (Jeff) Hafley. I think he’s a player’s coach. He’s a young guy, super into it. I’ve had great conversations with him and he’s probably the head coach that I talk to the most. So I just felt like as a staff they were putting a high priority on me, which I liked. Then obviously they have a strong business school and a couple of the kids I went to school with, older than me, had gone to BC and had great things to say about it.”
Maryland: “So, first, it’s super close to home. I live 30 minutes from College Park, so that was definitely a big part of it. Being able to have my parents 30 minutes away and knowing they wouldn’t miss a home game, that’s pretty cool. We’re big family-oriented people so that was big for me. They’re in the Big Ten, so really strong football. And academically, like all these schools really, they’re strong.”
Michigan: “So, again, Big Ten, really good football, academics are really strong. At Michigan, the Ross School of Business is really strong. They win football games there. It’s not a secret. So, that really stood out to me. And they had four guys drafted this year, too.”
Notre Dame: “I had been talking to them for a while and building a relationship. They offered me pretty close to when I put it out but at that point I still feel like they fit all the criteria that I was looking for. It’s a great school, great football.”
Texas: “So I really like Coach (Herb) Hand. I’ve talked to him a lot over the years, even before they offered me. I had been in communication with him for a long time. I know he wanted to come out to see me but he just never got the chance. McCombs School of Business is super strong and Texas is known for that O-line tradition. I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be kind of cool to go to Texas. That’s kind of what I always thought growing up. You watch these games on TV, I remember watching the USC game on TV and that game was pretty crazy.”
Vanderbilt: “So I took an unofficial visit there and I really liked it. I really enjoyed Nashville and that’s kind of a unique situation because they are in the SEC, so that means really, really good football but it’s also a really good school and it’s also a little bit smaller than most of the SEC schools.”
UVa: “I really love Coach (Garett) Tujague. I love Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall, I love that his token line is that he’s not a football coach, he’s a developer of young men. He just uses football to do that. I think that’s great, my parents love that as well. So, that was a big part of it. I feel like a broken record because I keep saying it again and again, you guys must hate writing when I talk because I just say the same quote. But it’s such a good school. It’s tough to say no to an academic university like that.”
Virginia Tech: “I really like Coach (Vance) Vice and Coach (Justin) Fuente. I was born in Blacksburg, so there’s like a small hometown pull there. I’ll say it again, we’ll go 8-for-8, but it’s a great school. I really enjoyed my conversation with one of their business professors and I felt really comfortable with their staff.”
So, with his list set and the final group identified, what’s next?
“It doesn’t really effect much for me,” he said of the extended dead period. “My plan right now is to get as much information about these schools as I can and the way it looks, I don’t think we’ll be able to take visits in August and we play games on Saturdays. So, I’m pretty much going to make a decision without any official visits. I may drive to some places and see some stuff like that and just see campuses, get a feel in that regard. But I think I’ll make a decision sometime before the season, I don’t really know when.”
One thing does seem sure though: Don’t expect a lot of hype.
“It could be a thing where I drive, see some places, decide to do it, and be done,” Bounds said. “I don’t think I’ll cut my list again, though. I’m not big on the social media. I don’t need all that. No offense to those who do it differently. Respect to those kids and they earned their offers too, so if they want to do it that way that’s cool. It’s hard work to get where you are so however you want to do it, do it. But that’s just not who I am.
“Once I know where I want to go,” he added, “I’ll commit and that’ll be that.”
