62 DAYS TO KICKOFF: Tyler Mitchell

Tyler Mitchell True Freshman 6-5 | 280 Mathews, Ala. Bio

Position: Offensive Line Previous College: None Projection: Redshirt Status: On Scholarship

Philip Tyler Mitchell (b. Jan. 21, 1997) was plucked out of SEC country. He appears to be an under-the-radar project who chose us over offers from Murray State and Tennessee Tech, as well as interest from Furman, Mercer and Troy.

Mitchell played under head coach Anthony McCall at Montgomery (Ala.) Academy, where he helped to lead the Eagles to a 12-1 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the Alabama Class 3A playoffs in 2014.

The team also reached the state quarterfinals and went 11-2 in 2013. You can watch Mitchell's highlights here.

He earned first-team all-state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior, was an all-area pick in 2013 by AL.com, and earned the team’s most improved offensive player and most valuable lineman awards.

Mitchell, who also played baseball, is a player who could develop at several positions, he told GoPowercat.com:

"I love them," Mitchell said of the coaches he has had contact with.

"They didn't say which position on the line. I can play both guard and tackle. Whatever I can do to help the team. They told me they really think I finish off my blocks well. They said I move really well."

GoPowercat recruiting analysts Tim Fitzgerald and Brian Gates both think Mitchell could be a sleeper stud, with Gates in particular raving about the kid's potential and politeness:

FITZ: Late addition Tyler Mitchell slipped through the cracks in a heavily recruited state (Alabama), which would indicate Bill Snyder saw a long-term projection in him that others may have missed.

GATES: I think Tyler Mitchell could be the guy who surprises us in this class.

At 6-foot-5, 280, he has the size for the offensive line already and coming from a football-crazed state like Alabama he has been around the game. The Wildcat coaches saw something on film that made them jump after this kid and it could pay off for them. ...

GATES: Again, this could be Tyler Mitchell as well. If he was overlooked by lots of other schools, it could be because he is a project that will take some time to come into his own. He is big enough to fit the bill at the position, but his skills could be behind and thus the reason he was overlooked. ...

GATES: The one who stands out to me is Tyler Mitchell. The late addition to this class was open about how the recruitment started between he and K-State, and was as polite as any recruit I have spoken to over the years. One other thing about him, he has answered every time I have called or called back within minutes if he missed the call. That just doesn't happen much with the different ways to communicate now.