Local 2026 ATH Jordan Campbell Talks Miami Offer, Playing Varsity as an Eighth Grader

Hialeah-based American (Fla.) athlete Jordan Campbell got his first taste of high school football at an earlier age than most of his counterparts. As a 6-foot-1, 175-pound eighth grader, American’s coaches believed that he had the size and talent to play on the varsity level.

“I didn’t even plan on doing it. It just kind of happened,” Campbell told LifeWallet Sports. “So the coaches that I’m with right now, they’re kind of like father figures … When I was young, they said, ‘You have the size. You have the size. You have the talent. So, might as well get an early head start on everybody else and get some varsity film in eighth grade.’ So I was like, ‘If I can do it, I’m down for it.’ And it just started happening from there.”

This allowed Campbell to have a head start once his freshman season started, as he was already used to the physicality of varsity football. He finished the year with over 10 sacks.

“It helped me real good because I was already used to the conditioning, and I was already used to hitting older people and stuff, so I was just immune to it by like summer of my freshman year,” said Campbell, who mostly played defensive end last season. “It was just an easy breeze after that.”

Campbell holds offers from numerous Division I programs, including FIU, FAU, Maryland, South Carolina and Miami, among others. He received his UM offer after competing in a seven-on-seven camp hosted by the school.

“That was truly a blessing to get an offer from my hometown team … I really wanted that UM offer so I went crazy … And [Miami head coach Mario] Cristobal, I’m really thankful for him. He had a conversation with me.”

Campbell noted that this conversation wasn’t strictly about football and that the two also talked about family, among other topics.

Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our NIL athletes and partnered brands.