Jamal Brooks makes the call
Following the Night at the Zou camp on Saturday night, Bessemer (AL) linebacker Jamal Brooks said he might be nearing a decision. “We'll see how I'm feeling and how everything plays out. I'll know something in depth the next couple weeks.”
Less than 72 hours later, he made that decision.
Although most did not find out about his choice until 8:30 on Tuesday night, the Missouri coaches knew earlier.
"I committed to Mizzou yesterday, but officially talked to coaches this morning," he said. "I talked to Coach Odom, then the phone was passed throughout the defensive staff room."
Brooks is Missouri's third 2017 commitment (fourth overall) since camp on Saturday and the eighth known member of this year's class. He chose the Tigers over offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt and others.
"I'm going because they believe in me," he told PowerMizzou.com on Tuesday evening. "The situation is great for me there. The defensive coordinator and linebacker coach are the same person, the head coach played linebacker and they have a strong history of developing defensive talent to the fullest."
The three-star prospect said at camp on Saturday night that Missouri’s coaching staff made him feel like a priority throughout the recruiting process.
"The interest that Missouri has in me, I see it at other schools, but Missouri, it's even more noticeable here," Brooks said. "I might cut it down short, I might be close to a decision, I'm not sure at this point. We'll see how I'm feeling and how everything plays out. I'll know something in depth the next couple weeks.”
Brooks’ trip to Columbia this weekend was his first to the Show-Me State. With Tuesday’s announcement, it certainly won’t be the last. As far as visits anywhere else, Brooks said simply, "I'm fully committed."
Rivals.com Southeast Analyst Woody Wommack on Brooks: "Brooks is a big-bodied inside linebacker who has the potential to grow into the anchor of the middle of a defense. At the high school level he is a tackling machine who racked up more than 150 total stops during his junior year so he clearly has a nose for the ball. His skills in coverage are a little more limited and there have been some concerns about his speed, but if his job is stopping the run up the middle he's more than capable of doing that at the next level."