Five-star Jadon Haselwood keeps everyone guessing until the end
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SAN ANTONIO - Peace and quiet. That’s what five-star receiver Jadon Haselwood wanted during his senior season. He wanted to play ball and not think about recruiting, for once.
“The way I did my process was I took my visits but I didn’t really talk to coaches at all during my season and then the week of signing day I was back on and it got really stressful,” Haselwood said here at the All-American Bowl.
“I dedicated my season to one of my teammates who passed away, so I was focused on winning a state championship. It’s crunch time now, so I have to find my school.”
The Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove standout was not searching for a lot of recruiting noise during his season except for one instance - when he backed off his long-standing pledge to Georgia in early October.
After so much thought, concern over the Bulldogs’ offense set in.
“Are they going to throw the ball enough?” Haselwood said. “I didn’t want to be out there being a crash dummy, just blocking every play. I do block my tail off, don’t get it twisted, but at the same time you want to contribute as well, catch touchdowns.”
So, on Saturday at the All-American Bowl, Haselwood said he’s prepared to make his final decision. According to UGASports.com, the five-star has signed financial aid paperwork with Oklahoma, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee. Haselwood said Tuesday those are his final four schools.
Miami had been considered a major contender for a long time, but the surprising retirement of Mark Richt - and possibly other factors - moved the Hurricanes off the list.
“I don’t think they’re a stable program right now, so I didn’t put them in my top four,” Haselwood said.
Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has been linked to possible NFL openings, but Haselwood is not concerned at all about that chatter. The school announced Tuesday it had agreed to a contract extension for Riley, so that’s good news for the Sooners even if the NFL rumors don’t abate.
Being an offensive playmaker is crucial for Haselwood, and he sees that opportunity in Norman.
“They’re just consistent in what they do,” Haselwood said.
“I grew up watching Oklahoma since Bob Stoops was there. Whoever gets the job after (Riley) - if he does leave - I’m sure it’s going to be a good person to lead the team. It is a dream school, but sometimes you don’t always go to your dream school.”
With that, Haselwood still leaves everyone guessing leading up to his pledge.