Toby Bullock kept hearing scouting reports as the Mitchell siblings went through Mandarin High School’s football program in Jacksonville, Fla.
First there was Kris, the flanker receiver whose speed gave Bullock, the head coach, a quick introduction to the family. Kris matriculated to Florida International, where he still plays wide receiver. Next in line was Nic, who is now a redshirt sophomore linebacker at Mississippi State. Bullock hadn’t coached the oldest, Justin, but knew he went to Harvard to play football. With three Division I football players in the family, they all insisted the youngest was the best.
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“They’re a wonderful family,” Bullock said. “Kris was the speed. He could absolutely fly. He’d go, if you think I can run, wait until you see my brother. … Whenever you’d brag about one of them, they’d say wait until you see Jon Jon. It was always, ‘Wait until you see Jon Jon.'”
Jon Mitchell, the four-star cornerback prospect who is ranked 197th nationally in the 2024 class in the 247Sports Composite, has lived up to his siblings’ lofty scouting reports. The 6-foot, 177-pound defensive back visited Penn State this weekend. By Saturday morning, Mitchell announced his verbal commitment to James Franklin and staff. It’s a decision those close to him say he was sold on ever since attending the White Out game last season.
#WeAre🦁 pic.twitter.com/md8WIyrpZs
— Jon Mitchell ⁵ (@LM5jon) April 1, 2023
It’s a significant addition for the 2024 class, with cornerbacks coach Terry Smith’s pitch to prospects likely only getting stronger with Joey Porter Jr. in line to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft later this month. Penn State’s in the midst of a great run of talented defensive backs, and look for Mitchell to fit in nicely in a class that has two cornerbacks verbally committed. Philadelphia’s Kenny Woseley chose the Nittany Lions on March 3.
All along, Bullock kept telling inquiring college staffs that he didn’t think distance from home in Jacksonville to any college would be a concern for Mitchell. It hasn’t been for his siblings. Fighting off SEC programs for Mitchell would seem like a challenge in the coming months, but there is a strong connecting point between Mitchell and the Nittany Lions that gives Penn State strong footing with this one.
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Cavonte Campbell, the cornerbacks coach at Mandarin High School, knows when he has a player who fits Penn State’s mold. Campbell refers to Penn State sophomore cornerback Cam Miller, who hails from Jacksonville too, as his unofficial fifth son. Miller and Campbell’s oldest are best friends. Campbell helped train Miller and even aided in convincing him to play cornerback. Miller won a state title at Trinity Christian Academy, about 22 miles away from Mandarin High School. Penn State’s coaches raved about him last season as he burned his redshirt and played in 11 games.
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What helped Miller feel secure in his Penn State pledge is the same thing the Jacksonville contingent visiting this weekend quickly figured out. Smith left a favorable impression when recruiting Campbell’s oldest son. Though he signed with UCF, that connection and comfort level with Smith is netting serious results for Penn State.
“There’s a level of trust that grew over time,” said Campbell, who was in Happy Valley this weekend accompanying Mitchell and his teammate, cornerback Antoine ‘AJ’ Belgrave-Shorter, who also has a Penn State scholarship offer.
“I tell a lot of guys I trust these guys at Penn State,” Campbell said. “When I get some guys who I think fit as far as being a Penn State kid, part of the Penn State family, I gotta hit my guy Terry up. … It’s crazy that I end up with two guys in the 2024 class that are uber -talented and both could be great fits here and do well here.”
When Franklin’s tweet went out at 9 a.m. Saturday signaling the newest verbal commitment, Bullock initially wasn’t sure which one of his players committed. Campbell was there when Mitchell, flanked by his family, delivered the news to the head coach. He said Franklin was “ecstatic.” The staff described Mitchell to those in the room as the kind of player who just checks so many boxes.
“If you would’ve told me to guess which one committed, I would’ve said AJ, just because Jon Jon is so quiet that you never know what he’s thinking,” Bullock said. “AJ is just as dominant, but just in a different way. … This is a once in a coach’s career where you have two corners like this.”
Penn State would love to have both of them to eventually pair with Miller, too. It’s a luxury for a high school program to have this kind of talent. With 2025 wide receiver Jaime Ffrench — a five-star prospect in the 247Composite —going against these corners daily, Bullock and Campbell recognize they’re in the midst of a special run.
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Mandarin will keep using Mitchell as the far corner, lining him up on the opponents’ sideline. It’s a position that he’s perfectly suited for both physically and in terms of his temperament. He’s a willing tackler, and Campbell said his raw abilities make it tantalizing to think about just how high his ceiling is.
Mandarin knows with both these corners, opponents will relish trying to score on either of them.
“Jon Jon doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t get up in the hoopla of what that opposite sideline is saying to him,” Bullock said. “He’s the anti-DB in that he’s not a big talker. … He’s a big-time competitor and he gets mad — he doesn’t like to get beat, but he’s just not a talker. … He doesn’t go out of his way to get a bunch of attention.”
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(Photo of James Franklin: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
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