5-star Kamarui Dorsey on the big bag perception and how much high school football still matters
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Hampton’s 5-star safety, Kamarui Dorsey. The AJC Super 11 selection is the state’s third-highest-rated senior prospect. He’s the consensus No. 1 safety and a top-15 overall national recruit for both major recruiting composites. He’ll lead Hampton (5-2) against Class 4A No. 1 Sandy Creek (7-0) on Friday night. Dorsey had an all-time game this fall that lives up to his lofty ranking, intercepting four passes against North Clayton. That performance included an interception return for a touchdown, another one-handed interception and another theft off a 2-point try.
1. You committed to Texas A&M during your junior year and haven’t looked back. Do you think that’s the new trend?
“It’s really just like a trust thing. From both sides. Both parties. The player and the coaching staff. It’s who you believe will develop you the most. The junior year commitment is a big commitment. You’ve got a whole other year. If you trust the guys you made that commitment to, you can’t go on other visits and stuff like that. That will show whether you are really committed or not. I will say that if you do that, you’ve got to make a grown man decision. You have to decide: Do you want to go have fun and take visits with some other guys, or stay committed to the school that you believe in.”
2. Given your talent level and prototype size (6-foot-3 and 205 pounds), you will likely play at least 12 more seasons of football. How does the high school experience still matter to a player with legit NFL potential?
“It means a lot to me. I’ve been in the same community since kindergarten. I’ve never transferred, where a lot of other guys have. It is just staying down with my guys. Guys that I have known since I was 7 years old. They believed in me. I believed in them. I want to see them succeed in life also. By staying around, I’m giving those guys I grew up with more opportunities when coaches come to see me. They’ve also seen them, too.”
“For me, staying committed to Texas A&M has been like staying committed to my community growing up. Everyone has been trying to get me to move to another school, but I’ve stayed loyal. It’s like it’s the same movie over and over again.”
3. The perception, fair or unfair, is that a big school offers a big financial incentive to a 5-star to get you to leave the state. Especially when UGA really wants you. Is that reality? How do you handle that and explain that to people?
“Oh, it’s not the best being associated with the money. I will get on Twitter. I’ll scroll for days. They will say, ‘They buy this’ and ‘They buy that’ and ‘It’s all about the money’ when you go to A&M and stuff. But it’s about trusting my coaches. That’s who I trust in. They believe in me.”
“I believe in them because at the beginning of my recruiting process, A&M didn’t offer me the biggest bag at first. You’ve got to get that mutual respect. They’ve got to build that trust in you to be that face of the class. So if you’re not going to be mature or if you’re going to take like a thousand visits, they are not going to buy into you as much. It is really just for both sides. Believing in the guys that believe in you and standing on the table for each other.”
4. With 5-star recruits these days, do some old-fashioned values still go into your decision?
“A lot. I’m a developmental kid. So I want to get developed. My biggest thing, it’s on my phone, is to be a Top 10 draft pick. I want to be a Top 10 NFL pick. So I believe in the guys who will help me get there. For me, it wasn’t about the bag. I’m a big Christian also, so it was about who would walk with me in my faith. A&M will pray around the circle before every game. Around the A&M logo in the middle of the field. Then there’s all the small things. Coach Mike Elko. He’s a safeties coach. I’m playing safety. So I know that position is going to be a value to him. He’s going to really pay attention to that position, coach the position hard, and will want to see that position succeed. If that position doesn’t succeed on the field, then his defense won’t succeed on the field. All of that played into my process. There were all so many little things.”