2021 UNLV Football Commitment Interview & Analysis: Maurice Jamison
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 his 5th commitment from a high school linebacker who is fast, long, and plays with swagger. Maurice Jamison from Pittsburgh (California) High School locked in to UNLV on Sunday, June 14th.
“Man, I talked about it with my mom, my trainer, and inner circle who are like family and told them I was ready to commit. So, on Sunday, I texted coach (Peter) Hansen and asked if we could talk, and he said yeah. My mom was in the shower, I think she got the times mixed up, but I was in the living room with my trainer when I face timed coach,” Jamison told me on Monday night. “When he picked up, actually, his daughter picked up, and he got it from her, and I told him I was committing.”
When talking to Maurice, I couldn’t help but feel the energy through the phone.
He has that swagger and confidence, that East-Bay attitude that former UNLV linebacker and current Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Javin White has. To say he has an infectious personality is an understatement.
“I just love football. I love everything about the game. I play with passion and have fun doing it,” he said, “I’ve been told I don’t weigh enough since we played Corona Centennial HS my sophomore year, but I’m so explosive and know how to shoot my hips. I still bring the boom!”
When I asked Maurice about how nervous he was when he committed, he told me, “It was the most nervous I have ever been. I messed up what I wanted to say–what I had rehearsed–because I was so excited,” Jamison continued, “This is the most excited I’ve ever been, and I thought to get the offer was lit!”
But Jamison plays for a higher purpose–his mom and his sister. “They are everything to me. I want to be able to put them in a position to take care of them and give them everything they want,” he said, “This is just the first step on my journey and reaching my goals.”
With the conviction, passion, purpose, and fire with which Jamison speaks, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make an impact once he hits the field at Allegiant Stadium. He’s been doing it since his days playing youth football and high school football.
Jamison, with an excited whisper in his voice, concluded, “What’s crazy, Joe, is that I’m only getting better!”
Here is my interview with ’21 Rebels Football commit Maurice Jamison:
JA: How did COVID-19 affect your recruitment and commitment?
MJ: It was cool. It didn’t change much; everything was pretty much the same.
JA: Why did you commit so early in the process?
MJ: I committed early because I didn’t want to lose my offer waiting it out to see what other offer I can get.
JA: Who was recruiting you from UNLV?
MJ: UNLV defensive coordinator Peter Hansen.
JA: Do you have any interesting or funny stories about when you committed to UNLV? What was Coach Arroyo’s reaction?
MJ: I remember him being very excited, showing me the field, and he also couldn’t wait to get me on the phone to talk.
JA: What do you think your strengths are on the field?
MJ: My strengths on the field are being able to cover lots of ground and also my closing speed.
JA: What do you think you need to work on?
MJ: I need to get better at reading concepts and working on my hands.
JA: Pittsburgh HS has had some ballers come out there, and the 2019 class may have been the best ever at that school. What did you take away from each of them?
MJ: I took the leadership role they taught me, especially from Jack Lacy III. That’s my guy. He helped me stay focused and was also was like a big brother on and off the field. Also, shout out to Josiah Porter, he also really helped me understand linebacker, and helped me slow down the game.
JA: How big of a role did your trainers and 7v7 team play in your development?
MJ: A big part. Special shout out to coach Will and BTA for helping me enhance my game. Coach Will, who’s been having (coaching) me since I was 11 years old, he was not only a trainer but a mentor making sure he was going to help me get to the next level.
JA: Did the Fertitta Football Complex and Allegiant Stadium play a role in your commitment, or did it change your view of UNLV football?
MJ: The stadium and complex looks awesome. I can’t wait to see it in person. It played a little role in my commitment, but I could play in a high school stadium and would still be excited to Be A Rebel.
JA: What do you want to major in while attending UNLV?
MJ: I want to major in Business Management.
JA: What NFL or college players do you pattern your game after?
MJ: Telvin Smith because people doubted him for “being too small.” I also love his confidence on the field; I think that’s what makes him a great player.
JaRon Turner’s Maurice Jamison Player Analysis and Evaluation:
Maurice Jamison: Linebacker, Pittsburg High School
Oakland, California.
When I put on the tape, Maurice Jamison becomes an unbelievably interesting watch. His tape is only 1:40 long, but there is an abundance of skills and abilities to break down. For the most part, this kid is very talented, super athletic, and skilled.
In only a few clips, he shows his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. He does a nice job of fighting off blocks and makes plays in the backfield. He is excellent tackling in space; he also blitzes fast and effectively. Jamison shows how quickly he can make up space when he accelerates and runs plays down from the backside. He fires through gaps and make tackles for loss and play coverage from the zone.
It’s accurate to say that Jamison will be more than effective in the system that coach Peter Hansen is going to install defensively at UNLV with his 3-3 stack. In that defense, it helps to have players like Jamison who can play both inside and outside the box effectively. With his speed, his size, his length (in both his arms and legs), Jamison can easily become the hybrid safety/linebacker that we now see becoming more common in both the NFL and the NCAA.
But all players have some kind of shortcoming, and with Maurice Jamison, it is his weight. He is “only” 6’2 207lbs, so Jamison may not be the big traditional inside, run-stopping linebacker that people often think is needed at all three LB positions. But his abilities and aggressive nature add more value to the defense than his overall weight. Also, if he were to redshirt in his first year in the program, he would be able to add at least 10-20 pounds to his body that won’t slow him down.
Overall, Maurice Jamison will be a much-needed addition to the UNLV defense in the future. To this writer, he reminds me heavily of UNLV fan favorite and now Las Vegas Raider, Javin White, with his flexibility, athleticism, playmaking ability, confidence, and competitive attitude–a comparison that any UNLV fan should be excited about.
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-JaRon Turner – Franchise Sports Media
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