Two-time state champion Jamie Vance is looking to add another ring on his finger this upcoming football season.
The 2020 cornerback from Edna Karr is all in on his senior season. So much so that he’s barely camped or visited any schools this summer. While other prospects are off to a different school every weekend, the Arkansas commit attended camps at LSU and Tulane and he recently returned from The Opening in Dallas, but that’s it.
“The reason why I didn’t camp a lot this summer is because I’ve been focusing on the (Karr) program,” the 5-foot-11, 168-pounder said, adding, “That was big for me. I really like camps, but I had to sacrifice camps to stay focused on the program because this is my last year. I got to put my all into it. I want to win another state championship.
“I’m not focused on anything else other than school and football.”
Vance started reeling in scholarship offers following his junior season. He holds offers from Mississippi State, Houston, Arizona State, Virginia, Louisville, UTSA and several others. But has been committed to Arkansas since February and already has a strong bond with three Razorback defensive backs in Joe Foucha, Devin Bush and Greg Brooks, and the coaching staff.
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“I have a very close relationship with them because we all come from the same area," Vance said. "And they all play defensive back so if I go up there then we are all on the same page. We don’t have to take the time to build relationships, it’s already there.
“The coaching staff is real and I’m comfortable with the people that’s going to be around me: Coach (Ron) Cooper; Coach (Chad) Morris; Coach (Mark) Smith. All those guys have a great effect on my life and I really trust them.”
The cornerback has a nickname of “Greedy” because of his admiration for former LSU cornerback Greedy Williams, now a rookie on the Cleveland Browns. Vance grew up watching LSU but the Tigers have never offered him.
“Their (recent) camp was nice. I been going up there for years and I handled my business; doing what I had to do. That’s all I can do. Just going out there to compete,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t get the offer but that’s how it goes sometimes. It’s a business.”
When asked if he still feels the need to prove himself to LSU or any other schools who haven’t offered yet, Vance said: “No. They know. They know.”
Vance considers himself a “technical” football player, and he has to be because his speed isn’t going to blow you away.
“I can be physical sometimes too but I’m more of a technical person because I’m not that fast. … I’m really not slow. For instance, let’s say I run the 40 then yeah, I’m not that fast. But when it comes to football, in a game, I’m fast,” he said.
The three-star prospect has already taken an official visit to Arkansas and is still working with his dad to figure out his other four officials and the best time to take them. In the meantime, Karr starts camp next week in preparation for the season.
Vance added: “The team really feeds off the captains. It’s about appreciation and brotherhood. It’s a family thing. Everybody thinks we just win games, it’s way deeper than that behind closed doors. What we do together is really special.”
