CJ Jimcoily names top four ahead of busy summer schedule
A busy spring has set the tone for an even more eventful summer for one of the nation's best safeties.
Rivals250 defensive back CJ Jimcoily is down to Stanford, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama. After making trips to each program earlier in the spring, Jimcoily is scheduled to make official visits back to each over the next few weeks. That includes trips to see Stanford (May 31-June 2), Tennessee (June 7-9), LSU (June 14-16) and Alabama (June 21-23).
"This spring has been a lot of getting in touch with schools that have offered and back in touch with the new staffs that re-offered me," Jimcoily told Rivals of his lead group of programs. "A lot of schools stopped by and I had a good chance to talk with them and get accustomed to them."
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The 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety from Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy made the trip to Palo Alto in January.
Jimcoily has a keen eye on the Cardinal from an academic angle. He called the football program a "cherry on top."
"The academics speak for itself," he said. "It's such a prestigious school with so many opportunities to take from it. I went into it (the January visit) to investigate the academics and what more I could go out of it, from what they're providing to speaking with the coaches and also academic advisors, and talk a lot of business. I really valued that, and for Stanford, football would be the cherry on top of the academics, because that's probably the thing that interests me the most."
The coveted safety will be back in Palo Alto on May 31 for his first official visit.
"The plan is see what more there is for football because I'm already sold on what they can offer academically," he added.
Jimcoily, the No. 18-ranked prospect at his position, is a top priority for the in-state Volunteers, who are working very hard to keep him close to home.
"They're making it very hard to leave," he said of Tennessee, which will host him for a June 7 official. "I like their coaching style and they're very personable, which catches my eye. I have a lot of teammates there and it's the home state, so they're showing great interest. Guys like Edwin Spillman, Nate Spillman, Kaleb Beasley ... There are so many players who vouch for Rocky Top, and when it comes down to the real deal of it, players are the best to go to. It's the home state with teammates and coaches who love you, with a program that's up-and-coming, and I recognize what they've accomplished under coach (Josh) Heupel. I value the change and the standard he's provided."
Jimcoily will head back to LSU in mid-June for the second time this off-season, which is a homecoming of sorts for the four-star safety who has family in and around South Louisiana.
"My family on my father's side is from Louisiana, so we grew up LSU fans and it's crazy to get an opportunity like that," Jimcoily said. "The new staff has a family vibe and being down there, it's a dream come true to play for the team your family grew up rooting for. My recent visit to LSU, I was ready to be amazed. I already know it's 'DBU' from watching them growing up and the talent they produce. They also have great opportunities academically for an SEC school.
"The new staff feels like an extension of family. Talking to players, the recurring theme is family. I have family living down there and the whole place is so personable. I love Brian Kelly's vibe. When we sat down in his office, he asked me about what I'm passionate about and what I'm looking for in a program, and I appreciated that along with the family vibe and the standard of excellence they have there."
The Crimson Tide jumped into Jimcoily's recruitment in the past week after making a pit stop in Tuscaloosa earlier this month and collecting an offer from assistants Christian Robinson and Colin Hitschler. Now, Alabama is in line his final official visit of June -- potentially before locking in a decision.
"Recently, Alabama got into this and it was crazy and I wasn't expecting it," Jimcoily said said. "The new staff at 'Bama has been non-stop. In my eyes, Alabama is the pinnacle of college football, the most decorated program in history, so having the offer to play for them is once in a lifetime opportunity. That immediately drew me in, and beyond the name and the program, coach Hitsch is a really nice guy, personable, and I've been impressed by the switch from the Big Ten to the SEC. Coach C-Rob's sister is a teacher at my school (Lipscomb Academy) and I'm close with her, and I've had the opportunity to talk to him at Auburn and Baylor."
"The official visit is a little late in the process," Jimcoily added, "but I think so highly of Alabama I'm looking to discover more on such a decorated program."
