4-star DL commit Javeon Campbell talks Kentucky, Wan'Dale Robinson, and playing tight end

There wasn’t a player on the field who could match Javeon Campbell‘s size, physicality, and overall athleticism. Now up to 6-foot-5, 280 pounds on the defensive line, the Western Hills High School senior looked dominant against Bourbon County in a 46-0 shutout victory to open the 2024 season on Friday night.

Essentially an unknown recruit this time last year, Campbell’s technical skills are quickly catching up to his massive frame. The native of Detriot who was raised in central Kentucky, he didn’t play in a real high school football game until his junior season. But on his very first snap to begin the 2023 season, he recorded a sack — it was that moment he knew football was for him.

Since then, he’s developed into a Top 200 prospect in the entire country with four-star status. Back in July, he committed to the home-state Kentucky Wildcats over a group of finalists that included Alabama, Auburn, Miami (FL), Ohio State, and Georgia. Cambell plans to enroll at UK in the summer of 2025.

“It just feels really good right now,” Campbell told KSR after Western Hills’ impressive win. “I’m just trying to learn something new every day still, trying to apply what I learn from drills and my coaches and try to get ready for the next level. It just feels good that I got a home to go to next year. Just can’t wait.”

Associate head coach Vince Marrow, Campbell’s main recruiter, made sure to wish him luck before the game. Campbell also spoke with head coach Mark Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White in the leadup to Friday’s season opener. When you have a four-star recruit on board, you want to make him feel as special as possible. Campbell said the love he received from the UK staff throughout his recruitment ultimately landed his commitment.

Campbell finished Friday’s game with at least two sacks, a handful of tackles, and he even played some snaps at tight end on offense for the first time. His face lit up when asked about how open he was in the endzone for a potential score, but the ball just couldn’t find his way. He knows a touchdown is coming sooner rather than later.

Javeon Campbell: large human. pic.twitter.com/2MjzW32Uqo

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) August 24, 2024

On the defensive line, Campbell can play anywhere, adding that he’s most comfortable lining up as an EDGE rusher. Originally a basketball player for most of his life, the footwork he learned as a post player on the hardwood translated quickly to the gridiron. He took the weight room seriously over the offseason too, going from roughly 250 pounds to the 280 he’s currently listed at.

“Last year, he was basically going out there and being a man-child,” Western Hills head coach Simon Vanderpool, who described Campbell as “coachable” several times, told KSR. “He’s still a man-child, but I think that’s where he’s progressing, he’s able to start learning the game.”

Having someone like Wan’Dale Robinson, who also played at Western Hills before his college (first at Nebraska, then at Kentucky) and now NFL career, in his corner certainly helps Campbell learn the game a bit easier. Although Robinson graduated high school in 2019, he and Campbell have a close relationship as two talented athletes from Frankfort, KY.

“He’s just a veteran to me basically,” Campbell said of Robinson. “He really did everything before me. He knows everything. If I have any questions or anything he can answer them.”

Other than his pure strength, the next thing you’ll notice about Campbell is his smile, which never seems to fade. In that regard, he was mentioned in the same breath as another talented Kentuckian, one who went on to do big things in his one season as a Wildcat.

“One of the comparisons I make, being around Reed Sheppard at North Laurel, he was the type of kid that he had this swagger about him, but he also meant business too,” Vanderpool, who was North Laurel’s defensive coordinator in 2022, added. “Seeing those personalities, they are so similar in the fact that Javeon can mean business, have a smile on his face, and still have an intensity that is unmatched.“