Cameron Friel: New 2021 UNLV Football Recruiting Commitment - Interview & Analysis

2021 UNLV Football Commitment Interview & Analysis: Cameron Friel

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This season Franchise Sports Media will have player interviews by Joe Arrigo with new UNLV football commits, as well as evaluations by JaRon Turner, former college linebacker and high school football coach at Rancho High School in Las Vegas.

 

UNLV head football coach Marcus Arroyo received a commitment from a high school quarterback who is raw, but could be in the same lines as other quarterbacks from the Island.

 

Picture living in a 3 bedroom apartment in Hawaii with your parents and siblings…all nine of them. That is exactly how new ’21 UNLV Football commit Cameron Friel grew up in Hawaii. Friel in the seventh of ten children and told me that growing up in a full house has made him appreciate everything that’s happening to him.

“I would say that growing up in a big family makes us close, but it also made me look at what I wanted in a school and a team,” Friel told me over the phone “I love the energy and excitement coach Arroyo brings and the quarterback’s he has worked with in the past.”

The 6’5, 215 pound 3-star quarterback out of Kailua High School in Kailua, Hawaii, has a big arm and does a great job anticipating his throws. Friel has a natural flick when throwing the ball but is still raw mechanically. A coach told me, “He is athletic as hell with a huge upside” and that “The last few island quarterbacks have been pretty good.”

I had another coach tell me that Friel “has the same type of frame, skill-set, and ability as (former Oregon Ducks quarterback) Justin Herbert, so it’s no surprise that Arroyo really likes him.”

 

 

Here is my interview with ’21 Football commit Cameron Friel:

 

 

JA: How did COVID-19 affect your recruitment and commitment?

CF: The whole virus really started to get serious, so I had no idea when I would be able to get out to the states and checkout schools. Also, since I live on an island, things are a bit tougher. I wanted to make my decision before it was too late!

 

JA: Why did you commit so early in the process?

CF: I had committed early in the process because I really like the coaching staff and their whole picture of where the program will be in the near future.

 

JA: Who was recruiting you from UNLV?

CF: Coach Glenn Thomas, the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and coach Chad Kauhaahaa who is the defensive line coach and also recruits the islands.

 

JA: Do you have any interesting or funny stories about when you committed to UNLV? What was Coach Arroyo’s reaction?

CF: It was crazy, I could tell that Coach Arroyo and Coach Thomas has been fired up once I told them! Coach Arroyo actually got up out of his chair celebrating. My man took his UNLV helmet, put it on, and started to make some serious noise!

 

JA: What do you think your strengths are on the field?

CF: I believe my strengths are the ability to remain calm and composed in the pocket. I would also say my legs give me an advantage. When I’ve got to escape pressure and get running, I believe my legs are a big help!

 

JA: What do you think you need to work on?

CF: I feel that I need to work on the little things, more so small unnecessary movements that take up time before I release my ball! Little things like that make a huge difference once improved!

 

JA: St. Louis and Kailua High School. You played at both high schools. What did you take away from each of them?

CF: I feel the one thing I can take away from St. Louis is nothing will be given to you, you’ve got to work for what you want. One thing I can take away from Kailua High is that success doesn’t come easy, hard work, and perfecting your craft can take you far!

 

JA: How big of a role did your trainers and 7v7 team play in your development?

CF: I’d say that my personal quarterback coach got me prepared the most, he’s been working with me ever since I started playing my position. 7v7 hasn’t helped a whole lot, I’d probably say the best would be all the reps.

 

JA: Did the Fertitta Football Complex and Allegiant Stadium play a role in your commitment or did it change your view of UNLV football?

CF: Don’t get me wrong, UNLV has got some beautiful new facilities, but I wasn’t really looking at that stuff while making my decision. I guess you could say that it has changed my view because just knowing that I’ll be in facilities like that just gets me excited.

 

JA: What do you want to major in while attending UNLV?

CF: Either Kinesiology, Business, or Engineering.

 

JA: What NFL or college players do you pattern your game after?

CF: I would have to say Marcus Mariota because he has the ability to throw in the pocket and use his legs when he needs to. That’s how I try and base my style of play off of.

 

JA: How do you feel about playing in the same city and stadium as Mariota?

CF: I am absolutely blown away, it’s a feeling that’s been a dream to me since I was a kid. Growing up I’ve been watching Marcus, from high school to Oregon. Now, knowing that we’ll be in the same place together, I’m just at a loss for words! I really do look forward to meeting him again and staying in touch!

 

 

 

JaRon Turner’s Cameron Friel Player Analysis and Evaluation:

 

As a quarterback, Cameron Friel brings many positives to the table with very limited if any negative attributes. He’s tall, athletic, and his long strides allow him to eat up grass quickly making him faster in the game and able to run away from defenders. He has outstanding pocket presence, a good sense of the moving pieces around him, and he’s able to maneuver in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield looking for the open receiver. 

 

Friel has great anticipation for the routes his receivers are running and when they will be open. Many times in his tape Cameron threw a receiver open with the placement of his ball. A few times he placed the ball right where the defender could not get to it but only his guy could.

This shows he has a fundamental understanding of the position as a self-identified “Pocket Passer.”

His mechanics are slightly off because of his baseball background. He throws in the form of a quarterback from the waist up, but below the waist, he has a pitcher’s finish and has his lever leg very high in the air which makes him a tad bit unbalanced. However, his overall strength corrects this issue and allows him to deliver accurate balls. Fixing this issue can and will make him an elite passer from the ground up. 

 

Other than that Cameron’s only issue as he transitions will be what many players deal with transitioning to college, how fast will he make the mental transition from high school to college quarterback as he enters UNLV. His grasp of the playbook and his understanding of new and more complex offensive and defensive schemes will ultimately decide his future as a quarterback in college.

But for the foreseeable future, this kid is a rock-solid, underrated recruit that can more than live up to the expectation of being an “Island Quarterback.” UNLV and coach Arroyo hopes Friel will make an impact similar to players like Jeremiah Masoli, Marcus Mariotta, and Tua Tagovailoa.

 

Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel   Cameron Friel

 

-JaRon Turner – Franchise Sports Media

 

 

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