Bonner gets Tiger offer after camp

2014 Chesterfield (Mo.) Parkway Central defensive lineman Jonathan Bonner attended Mizzou's second team camp of the summer last week. He went in to the camp looking to make his mark and come away with a Mizzou offer.

"I went up to the Mizzou camp for one day. It was on Thursday," he said. "I felt like I performed pretty well. I was on one of the renegade teams and we went against some other teams there. I worked pretty well against the run and I had a good pass rush as well. Just competing against other actual teams, I felt like I did good overall."

Was the performance enough to persuade the Tigers to offer the 6-foot-3, 253 pound St. Louis area prospect?

"Yes," Bonner answered when asked if he received a Missouri offer. "They were really impressed with the pass rush. The coaches talked with me after that and they said I was looking pretty good. Then we went in to a full 11-on-11 practice where I got to play some game situations. I held strong through those and they were impressed with how I looked through those. They said they wanted to see how I play on the actual field and how I move in person. I was moving around better than they expected me to. They are looking at me as a defensive end, which is where I'd like to play."

While in Columbia Bonner did not get to take in the whole Mizzou campus, but he did like the parts he saw.

"I haven't been around the actual campus, but I've seen the football facilities obviously," he explained. "They were pretty up to date. They're nice. They had a new locker room and all that and it looks pretty nice. A school that has a big focus on the football players will play a part in my decision."

There are also some other factors that he will focus on when trying to decide on a school.

"Where I would fit in on the team. Where they would eventually want me to play at and how soon I could play. Also, location is not to big of a deal, but somewhere around family wouldn't be to bad. Something not to close and not to far," said Bonner.

Bonner added that his preferred position going forward is defensive end and he added that is were the Missouri coaching staff projects him as well.

As of today, Bonner is planning to decide on a school after a little more research into his options.

"I think I'm going to make a decision sometime during the season. I want to see all the schools. See as much as I can before making a final decision," he said.

Bonner lists over ten offers from schools such as Illinois, Purdue, Michigan St., Indiana, and now Missouri. He said he does not have any type of top list currently, but one schools is doing the best job of recruiting him.

"Illinois is doing a really good job of recruiting me right now," Bonner said. "They send little posters and stuff with me on it saying 'Immediate impact, first round draft pick' and all those kind of things. I think it's just kind of flattering."

Between now and football season Bonner plans to take a few more unofficial visits and he might attend one more camp.

"I may visit Purdue and Michigan St," he said. "I'm also contemplating going to the Notre Dame camp."

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