The work hasn’t stopped for Cameron Friel.
The Kailua junior keeps throwing the football in informal workouts with teammates. He pumps iron and has added 15 pounds since last fall to his 6-foot-4 frame, and is now at 205 pounds.
UNLV is the latest FBS school to take interest. The Rebels offered Friel a scholarship on Thursday. His other offers are from Navy, San Diego State and Nevada. Friel carries a 3.7 grade-point average.
“I’m excited to see what they have for the season. They have a whole new staff. Their coaches have been all over at the highest level,” Friel said on Friday. “Coach (Marcus) Arroyo coached players like Jared Goff and Justin Herbert. (Offensive coordinator and Quarterbacks) Coach (Glenn) Thomas coached Matt Ryan. Some big-time players. I’m excited. I’m a firm believer in what they told me about the things they can do to get me ready.”
The initial contact with UNLV came through assistant coach Chad Kauhaahaa, who coached Baldwin to multiple MIL titles in the 2000s.
“He talked with my coach (Joseph Wong). Coach Arroyo started following me. We had a Zoom call. Coach said, I’ve been hearing a lot of things about you from Coach Thomas. He said he’s bummed out that he can’t come out here to check me out. I met him at the football camp at the University of Redlands when he was coaching at Oregon. He said, ‘I was looking back at my Redlands notes.’ He said, I need to find my next future NFL quarterback in this class. Would you want to be play in the same system as Justin Herbert? He sees a bright future in me,’ Friel said.
Coach Thomas plans to run the same offense that was used at Oregon with Herbert, now playing in the NFL.
“Coach Arroyo said, ‘Coach Thomas do you have anything to tell Cameron?’ He said, ‘You have all the intangibles, but I also love your film and all the work you’re doing.’ Then Coach Arroyo said, ‘We would really love to have you at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.’
Friel’s videos on Twitter give recruiters a fresh look at his mechanics on a consistent level.
“Usually, coaches, they like that stuff. They’ll be able to follow. I message them. They say they watched my video. They help a bit. They let the coaches know what you’re doing,” Friel said.
Nevada, SDSU and Navy have remained in touch.
“I was texting the Nevada staff today. Every other day, I’m getting mail from them,” Friel said. “I just got off the phone with Coach Savaii (Eselu of SDSU). I text back and forth with (Navy assistant coach) Billy Ray Stutzmann.”
Another school that stays in contact is Colorado, Friel added.
One noticeable difference on his videos, which he loads to Twitter, is his increased arm strength.
“Ever since last season ended, that’s when I really started to bulk up and pick up some weight. Get to where I should be to match my height. Eating protein, workouts. My footwork and mechanics, I got that down. There’s throws I’m able to make that I couldn’t have this past season. I really do feel my arm strength increased. I’m bigger and stronger,” Friel said.
His ability to get the ball out quickly was consistent. He also was tough to contain when he tucked the ball in.
“My speed is still good. I do sprints and things like that. Compared to when I was a freshman or sophomore, my speed has increased major. As a freshman, i ran a 5.3 (40-yard dash). Then I hit my growth spurt, and coach did a hand-timed 40 and I ran a 4.7 at the end of last June.
Friday afternoon was busy enough. Friel and his brothers have been busy with fix-it jobs at home. He doesn’t miss a workout, though.
“I’ve got to go submit a video for the Elite 11. They’re not doing a regional because of the (COVID-19) virus. I’ll have the video camera on a stand and throw with my coach. I use my phone,” he said.
The difference of being a big fish in a smaller pond or smaller fish in a big pond doesn’t matter to Friel.
“I’ll go anywhere. I’m OK with going to a school that isn’t always in the national championship. SDSU, they’ve been the the top in the Mountain West the past couple years. UNLV, with the new staff, I feel like it’s one of those schools that going to build something great in the next four, five years. I’m comfortable going to a place where I will compete for the job. Nothing in life is given, but I’m also OK with going somewhere without the great reputation, but make a name for myself and change the image of the school,” Friel said.
Lockdown staples
Top 3 shows
1. Naruto. I’m on Season 4. I finished Flash and Tiger King. Now I’m back to Naruto.
Top 3 food/drink
1. Pizza. Tostito pizza. My favorite is the meat lover’s pizza from Boston. I haven’t really eaten out this quarantine.
Friel has also learned some new skills during the lockdown.
“We’ve been helping out my oldest brother, Colson. He had a crack in his shower floor, so we ripped out the walls and we’re in the process of redoing it. The plumber’s supposed to come today, then we’ll finish up tiling the shower. Me, my siblings, Colson, his brother-in-law,” Friel said.
“The other week, my other brother (Corey) came over. We had to change the brakes in his car. We replaced the whole thing. My dad (Billy) can do it all. He’s kind of the mechanic, electrician, everything,” he said.
Comments