Interview: Brandon Boykin

The Vanderbilt staff has already picked up a commit from one Memphis- White Station linebacker. Brandon Boykin is another outstanding linebacker who hails from the same school as Chris Marve. VandyMania spoke with Boykin and got an update on his recruiting situation.

VandyMania.com: What are some of your strengths as a player?
Brandon Boykin: Just making plays, I mean I do a good job of learning opponent’s tendencies where I'm able to put myself and my teammates in the right place at the right time to make good plays. I think I'm a real smart player that goes 110% every play.

VM: What were some of your stats as a junior?
BB: I ended up with about 75 total tackles, 2 sacks; about 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

VM: Do you play any positions other than linebacker?
BB: No sir.

VM: What schools have offered you so far?
BB: I actually have no offers, I'm still waiting on that first offer.

VM: Have you visited Vanderbilt yet?
BB: Yes sir, I've been up there a couple times now. Most recently I went up there for their camp on the seventeenth? That's the most recent time.

VM: How did it go at camp?
BB: I think it went well. I got a chance to talk to Coach Johnson and he told me that I did a lot of great things and he liked what he saw and I talked to Coach Belin too and he told me the he'll be in touch.

VM: So who do you think is recruiting you the hardest out of all the schools?
BB: Stanford and Mississippi State. It's probably about a tie between those two.

VM: What other schools are recruiting you?
BB: The schools that are really recruiting me are Stanford, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss too. Southern Miss has come on strong lately.

VM: So do you have any visits coming up?
BB: No, I'm not planning on taking any visits. Hopefully I'll get a chance to take some official visits later on.

VM: So what have the Vanderbilt coaches told you?
BB: Coach Johnson told me "we haven't forgotten about you." I think they really wanted to make their final evaluation on what I do this coming season. If I can show them that I can be the dominating player that they think I can be they'll probably end up making a move.

VM: What combines have you attended?
BB: I did the Scout.com All-American combine at Oxford.

VM: How did you do?
BB: I ran a 4.56 in the forty. I had a 34-inch vertical jump. I ran like a 4.6 flat in the shuttle and I had like a 9-foot broad jump.

VM: What’s your size?
BB: I'm 6 feet and 215.

VM: So what's Chris [Marve] said to you about Vanderbilt?
BB: Basically he's telling me to keep working harder because he would love for both of us to end up at the same school. So he just keeps telling me, pushing me harder and harder in the weight room to keep getting better and he said when the time is right he'll try to drop a bug in the coach's ear.

VM: What about Tennessee, are they in the picture at all?
BB: I don't hear a whole lot from Tennessee.