BEAVERTON, Oregon -- Houston (Texas) Lamar safety John Bonney is part of a talented defensive backs class in the state of Texas for 2014. His offer list proves it, too, as he has 23 from all over country.
John Bonney wants to make decision before senior season
SB Nation Recruiting spoke with the four-star safety at this past weekend’s The Opening.
Bonney spoke to SB Nation Recruiting on Saturday after the SPARQ competition at The Opening, saying that he would like to make a decision before his senior season. The talented defensive playmaker also discussed his recent trip to California, the camps he attended this summer, and why he likes Texas -- the team that industry analysts believe has a 50-50 chance to land his services.
Later on in the day, Bonney spoke at length about the Baylor Bears and where they stand in his recruitment.
“They’re definitely up there on my list because they were the first Big 12 team and first big school to offer. I’ve known the coaches there since I was little and they were at Houston,” the 6’0, 180-pounder told SB Nation Recruiting after the SPARQ Finals on Monday.
“Art Briles is a great guy and makes you feel like part of the family out there,” Bonney continued, somewhat echoing statements made by Mount Pleasant (Texas) wide receiver KD Cannon earlier in the day about the Baylor head coach.
“They make you feel good as a player. They make you feel more than wanted -- they make you feel like a need. For me, I’ve been familiar with the coaching staff for a while and I feel good about them as a staff because it’s all about people.”
The last visit to Waco for Bonney was during the spring game. He hasn’t taken any recent visits, but the combination of having seen the coaches in action and looking at the plans for the new stadium, which he noted took a significant capital investment on the part of the university, seem to have him fired up about Baylor.
Bonney’s also been keeping up with the burgeoning Baylor recruiting class, which currently stands at 19 commits, calling the recent run that included seven commitments in the first 12 days of June “crazy.” The Lamar product said that the Bears assured him they will keep a spot in the class for him.
While Bonney could join high school teammate Ira Lewis, a defensive tackle commit to Baylor, he said that Lewis hasn’t been pressuring him too much -- “he’s not that type of guy.”
Since many believe that it could come down to a battle between Baylor and Texas for Bonney’s services, whether he wants to play in an established defense with tradition like the Longhorns or be a part of building something special with the Bears. Bonney’s response could be telling in regard to his final destination:
“Being able to build something with Baylor is really appealing because I know that, with their offense, they are always going to be able to score points and if they can get a defense together, they will have a chance to win the Big 12. If you have a chance to win the Big 12, you have a chance to play for a national championship -- or at worst play in the Cotton Bowl or Fiesta Bowl -- and that’s pretty big, too.”
“If they can get a defense together, they can be real good,” Bonney concluded.
Based on the insane numbers the Baylor offense has put up recently and Briles’ continually-emerging reputation as a first-class quarterback coach, it’s hard to argue with Bonney’s assessment.
More from SB Nation:
