Elite in-state DT Jaelin Humphries can play on both sides of ball

Want to attack every day with the latest Georgia football recruiting info? That’s what the Intel will bring at least five days a week. We’re writing about Mountain View 4-star DT Jaelin Humphries along today’s Intel. 

Jaelin Humphries ranks. That goes for both sides of the ball.

He rates as the nation’s No. 14 DT on the 247Sports composite for 2019. That might have been why Kirby Smart visited Mountain View High School and hopefully referred to him as his next noseguard.

“Georgia tells me that they need me really bad,” he said. “They are stressing I can be one of the best guys I can put in their defense as a ‘zero’ technique nose tackle. They tell me I can really play a lot for there in the middle of their defense and I could start for them as a true freshman.”

That’s also why South Carolina offered him before any other SEC school. The Gamecocks recruit him harder than any other program.

Georgia is in that trench war for the 6-foot-4 athlete from Mountain View. I will use the term “athlete” here because Humphries can move. His strength totals are not Hulk-ish yet.

But his feet are already worth writing about. Chuck Allen, his line coach at Mountain View, has coached up several elite offensive linemen at the varsity level.

“The sky is the limit for him because he has tremendous upside,” Allen said. “The thing that he has going for him and I have said it about a couple of guys when they were in high school and were on the way to the NFL. It is the same thing with him. His best days playing are still way ahead of him. He’s a great football player in high school and he’s going to keep getting better.”

Jaelin Humphries feels that South Carolina is recruiting him the hardest at this time. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)

He compared his feet to that of former North Gwinnett standout Ja’Wuan James. James starred at Tennessee and went on to be selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. James, a 6-foot-6 tackle, has started all 40 NFL games he has played in.

Allen also coached Oklahoma All-American Orlando Brown when he was at Peachtree Ridge. He feels Humphries belongs in that group. He sees that same potential up ahead with him. The staff at Mountain View feels he can even be an NFL player at offensive guard. That’s how good those feet are.

But Humphries wants to be a defensive tackle and a nose guard on Saturdays. He has the skill set to do so. That means the SEC programs that are after him will recruit him as a DT, too.

They do so because they do feel Humphries can make an impact there. And they just want those feet in their program.

Humphries grew up in a “House Divided” of sorts. He said his mother is an Auburn fan and his father leans toward UGA.

But he’s not leaning anywhere yet. Do not look for him to make his decision until the final home game of his senior season. That’s the current decision plan he has in mind at this time.

Why Jaelin Humphries plays football

Humphries is a bright guy. Funny. A pleaser. He will let a photographer snap his picture next to bear statue near their football fieldhouse that he dwarfs in comparison.

He’s called “Hump” and “Hump Daddy” by various members of the Mountain View team and he plays for a lady who means the world to him.

“I really don’t have a why,” Humprhies said. “I just want to help my Mom out and to get a free education and take that worry away. Get my free education. Help my Mom. Hopefully, go pro.”

Jaelin Humphries ranks as the nation’s No. 14 DT for the class of 2019. He wants to be at DT in college. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)

He aims to study marketing and already has a 19 on his ACT. But he will test again to score better than that. The 4-star DT said he carries a B-average in school.

“My mother is very important to me,” he said. “I want to support her for a long time when I can.”

His favorite moments in this game so far are just running. He enjoys that.

It is a sight to see him open up full throttle and drop the hammer and that size and weight in a 60- to 70-yard sprint. When a strength coach calls a lineman a “strider” it means Humphries shows his taillights to similar body types.

“When I run out of that banner I try to stay ahead of the middle,” he said. “I want to run out there with that flag.”

He plays football because he loves it. All of it. Working with his team. Getting better. Helping his teammates make some strides. That approach reflects some maturity.

Humphries can more than hold his own in an interview setting. But there’s some real weight to his words. When he talks about physical football, that’s not just lip service.