There's track speed, and then there's football speed. On the track, 2014 recruit Joe Mixon runs a personal best 10.92 in the 100M, but when you see him in pads it makes you ask yourself whether or not he's faster on the field.
Mixon has a nose for the endzone and gets there by any means necessary with the ball in his grasp. CLA spoke with the nation's top high school running back who currently holds 38 official scholarship offers.
"The ones I was most excited about were Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Ole Miss, Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC and UCLA," Mixon told CLA Sports.
Joe Mixon: Official Junior Highlights
Going into his junior year, Joe Mixon held onto his first and only offer from the Oregon State Beavers. "They were saying I was the main guy when they saw me on the field at the St. Mary's camp. They were comparing me to Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson," he said.
The senior-to-be admits that his first offer served as an inspiration to get better. "It inspired me to get better and get ready for my junior season. Hard work paid off and now I've got 38 offers," says Mixon.
Throughout the recruiting process, Mixon has taken advantage of social media and camp experiences to stay connected with fellow recruits from California and beyond.
"I got to meet Adoree' Jackson and I knew Dwight Williams from before. Ever since, we've been cool with each other and help each other out with recruiting. I talk to everybody.. all the top recruited athletes in the nation and we exchange numbers. Mainly me, Dwight (Serra), DJ Calhoun (El Cerrito) and Mike Lazurus (Berkeley)," he says.
Mixon has been invited to the Army All-American game and is looking forward to an offer from the Under Armour game in Florida within the next week.
Although he has proven to be successful on the field, Mixon knows the importance of competing in the classroom.
"Getting to college, that's the motivation. I've gotta succeed in the classroom. I took my SAT before I went to L.A. on Saturday. Right now I've got a 3.25 GPA."
With the size and speed of a college level athlete, Mixon looks to lead Freedom HS (CA) past the 2nd Round of the Playoffs where they finished last season.
