Rivals250 LB Chad Bailey ready for an active spring

2018 Rivals250 linebacker Chad Bailey should be on the shortlist of players in Texas this spring due to pick up some more offers, but he’s not wasting any time checking in with the teams that already have.

In two weeks, he plans on taking a visit to Ole Miss, who offered him in November and is planning a February visit to Missouri, who followed suit in early December.

Bailey is a dynamic player for his Ridge Point High defense, seeing most of his action at outside linebacker, but he fits the profile of a traditional inside linebacker and has been recruited as such.

“Most colleges are recruiting me as a middle linebacker right now, so I guess I’ll be more of a run-stopper when I get to the next level,” he said. “I think I rush the quarterback better, but wherever you put me, I’m going to go to work.”

Knocking out those visits to Oxford and Columbia should give him a little perspective and time to take a look at a couple of other schools he feels are close to offering him as well. He thinks that offers from Houston and Texas A&M are coming in the near future.

On Houston

“There’s nothing wrong with staying at home to play football and be the hometown hero,” he said. “I’ve taken a visit to Houston, but I haven’t talked to many of the new coaches, I’ve met to Coach (James) Casey, the tight ends coach, he came and talk to me last week and said I should be getting some good news from them pretty soon.”

“I just like the atmosphere on game days and practice,” he said. “They’re all hype, they got the music playing and everyone’s playing with energy - they’re flying around to the ball. Hopefully it’s the same with the new coaches.”

On Missouri, where teammate Terry Petry is committed

“Terry said he really likes the campus and it would be cool playing with a what I call a brother of mine at Mizzou,” he said. “I really liked the linebackers coach when he came and offered me when I was at school. He said that there is a pretty good chance I could come in and start over there, so he plays a big part in things.”

On Ole Miss

“Like I said I just want to go up there, see it for myself and see what the feeling is for me and I’ll go from there,” he said. “I just really want to talk to the head coach for myself, I need to talk to Coach (Hugh) Freeze and hear what he’s got planned.”

On Texas A&M

“I’ve been to a few of their games - I was there when they played Ole Miss,” he said. “That was a good game, they just had a couple defensive hiccups and stuff, but I really like (John Chavis) and I’ve talked to Coach (Kevin) Sumlin a few times, Coach (Clarence) McKinney a few times, and I really like the atmosphere out there too.”

The table seems set for what promises to be an active next few months for Bailey. Being from the Houston area, he has some more familiarity with the way the program has grown at U of H, but getting out on the campuses of the other teams that have offered him for the first time will be crucial.

Although Houston has obviously been on the map in recent seasons as a team worthy of legitimate consideration in top bowl games, the allure of the SEC is something that speaks to Bailey. When three of the four most interested teams in his recruitment make their home there, it’s natural that he’s thought about what it means to him to play in that conference.

“I want to play big-boy football and I feel like that’s in the SEC,” he said.