/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54470691/97906441.0.jpg)
After announcing the departures of Jamal Aytes, Davin Guinn and Steven Beo, BYU coaches have been hitting the recruiting trail to fill vacant scholarships for the 2017-2018 season.
2017 Las Vegas guard Jerell Springer is set to visit BYU’s campus. I spoke with two current BYU players who confirmed Jerell will soon visit Provo. Jerell informed Vanquish the Foe that he will be in Provo next week
The 6-foot-6 Springer has an interesting recruiting story. He played his first three years of high school ball at Shadow Ridge in Las Vegas. Before the start of his senior year, he transferred to the more highly touted Desert Pines in hopes of playing his senior year there.
Due to transfer violations, Springer was forced to sit out his senior year. Subsequently, recruiting attention waned and he fell off the radar for many programs.
In an area with top high school talent, Springer was one of the best players in Las Vegas his junior year. An ESPN 3-star recruit, Jerell averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and just under 1 block per game. So, BYU is targeting a guy that is talented on both the offensive AND defensive end.
ESPN described Springer in 2015 as an “extremely athletic wing-type with long arms and a frame that should fill out nicely as he matures. He has an explosive 1st step where he separates from his defender and he can fly up and down the court in transition.”
Springer fills arguable the biggest void for BYU — an athletic wing who can play at both ends of the floor (to be honest, that has usually been lacking for the last 50 years at BYU).
With 6-foot-7 Zac Seljaas, 6-foot-6 Rylan Bergersen and the potential addition of of Springer, BYU could suddenly have decent length along the perimeter, something that was sorely lacking this past season.
BYU seems like the lead school for Springer as of now. If he played his senior year, he would have garnered multiple P5 offers. Now, BYU could be getting an under-the-radar recruit who would fill a big void in the roster.
Here is a highlight video showcasing some of Springer’s abilities.