Unsigned Preps Bus Tour Preparing Recruits for College, NFL and Beyond

As Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed the campers at the University of South Florida’s summer camp, a large group of Tampa-area prospects were soaking in the gravity of the moment.

“It was great to get to work with them [Michigan coaches] up close,” said 2017 tight end Tre McKitty. “We got to talk to them out there. They were energetic and were teaching. So it was cool that they came to watch us. I think everyone was excited to see them.”

For most of the 80 kids from the Unsigned Preps Bus Tour, this was their first time on a college campus. If it weren't for the tour, many of them might never get the chance.

Former Texas Tech defensive back and Tampa native Ricky Sailor and his partner, Romey Battle, founded Unsigned Preps in 2010 with the intent of providing high school football players guidance and assistance along the path toward a college scholarship.

While football is the vehicle that brought them to this setting, the ambition of the founders goes well beyond the gridiron.

“We want them to see what it’s like to be a student at college,” Battle said. “It’s the first time some of these kids have even set foot on a college campus even though they live in a city with a college campus. There’s a lot of things we want to do in helping them broaden their minds and not just take them to one campus, but several universities.”

Sailor laughs cathartically when he recalls the humble beginnings of the bus tour, when things didn’t run as smoothly. 

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

He and Battle came up with the vision for the tour out of frustration. 

Sailor was the defensive coordinator at Jefferson High School in Tampa at the time, and he became agitated when his star linebacker, Ramik Wilson, failed to land a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia when its coaches dropped by the school in the spring.

“I got so upset that I said, ‘we’re going to their camp.’” Sailor told Bleacher Report. “So I got two vans and took seven kids and went to the University of Georgia’s camp. Ramik got offered on the spot. The biggest thing about the camp that I noticed was that there were other colleges present at this camp. So I said to myself, we need to get the biggest bus possible so we can take more kids to colleges so they can get the same experience Ramik had.” 

Wilson, who went on to star at Georgia, is currently playing in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs. 

A year after the ordeal in helping Wilson get the offer he wanted, the first bus tour took 23 kids in one bus to North Carolina, NC State and South Carolina.

Five years later, this year’s tour featured 80 kids on two different buses—each with separate routes—heading to multiple schools over the span of a week.

The first bus, which Bleacher Report was given access to accompany on its journey, canvassed the six schools in a five-day span.

Among the first batch of parents to arrive as the buses prepared to take off was NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks—whose son, Decalon, is a 2017 linebacker who is included in this year’s group of campers.

The former Tampa Bay Bucs legend began to observe the work that Unsigned Preps was doing in the community, and he decided to lend his support to them a few years ago.

“These guys take the time to sacrifice their time for a greater need with these kids,” Brooks said. “To me, that is more my attraction to want to be involved with Unsigned Preps. You see somebody that has the heart for these kids, it’s the same as mine. I’m big on education, and now they have an athletic component to bring with that education, it’s truly special.”

The Bulls' joint camp with Michigan's staff gave the homegrown products a chance to shine in front of coaches from two schools right in their backyard. 

One of the stars of the day was 2017 4-star wide receiver Daquon Green—who is one of a small handful of bus one’s campers who are already known quantities in recruiting circles.

Green drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd after snatching a pair of touchdown passes in one-on-one drills, and an animated reaction from Harbaugh—who sprinted toward him after one particular catch to show his appreciation for Green’s efforts.

“It feels great,” Green said after his performance. “I just wanted to go out there and make sure to catch their attention so they will look at me.”

His goal was accomplished, as he received word from offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch that he had an offer from the Wolverines one day later.

Similar highs for various players would play out on the visits over the next four days. Class-of-2016 3-star corner KJ Sails had Clemson coaches buzzing after a strong day. Similarly, 2016 3-star corner Jayvaughn Myers and 2018 defensive backs Timarcus Simpson and Montrae Braswell were among the top performers at North Carolina and Georgia.

However, the moments away from football, such as a visit for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings in Durham, North Carolina, are likely to be the visuals forever etched into the minds of those in attendance.

Class-of-2017 corner Rodney Higdon—an emerging prospect from Tampa’s Jesuit High school whom Battle nicknamed “Denzel,” for his resemblance to actor Denzel Washington—caused a hilarious scene when he scarfed 30 of the chain’s spiciest wings down in less than four minutes as his new friends razzed him and cheered him on.

At Clemson, players engaged in battles at various games, such as pool, ping-pong and Pop-A-Shot basketball in the Tigers game room.

As the tour got into its final stages and after the players and coaches had spent a few days together, the rides on the bus itself became a haven for pranks. 

Players such as 2016 athlete Antonio Nunn would tweet pictures of those who fell asleep on the long rides between schools. 

However, as McCloud and Brooks echoed, it’s the relationships that have been built during the tour that are what makes the tour truly a successful endeavor.

“The fun jokes and laughs we have on the bus as well as the competitiveness that we have out here on the field, those are the things I will remember the most” said 2017 quarterback Alec Cromie. “Messing around in Clemson’s game room is something I’ll never forget.”

Overall, Sailor notes that 13 offers were handed out on this year's tour. However, with younger players such as Higdon, Braswell and Simpson flashing their talents in front of various coaches, their recruitments could also take off in the near future. 

Position/Player	Class	School
CB Jayvaughn Myers	2016	North Carolina
OL Myron Hagins	2016	South Florida
TE Tre McKitty	2017	Auburn, Mississippi State
DE Zach Carter	2017	Florida, Mississippi State
WR Daquon Green	2017	Michigan

Getting support from people like Brooks and the coaches in the high school community in Tampa wasn’t always a slam dunk for Unsigned Preps.

However, the detractors are slowly diminishing as more people and kids get exposed to the tour. 

Frank LaRosa is the head coach at East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Florida—just outside of Tampa. 

He accompanied Sailor, Battle and McCloud for the second year in a row, bringing Sails and teammate Brandon Frazier along for the ride. 

After doing his homework on Sailor and the people involved with Unsigned Preps, he volunteered his services to help out on the chaperone end—which he admits makes him somewhat of a rarity in the high school coaching community. 

“One thing I think about a lot of high school coaches, if not all of them, is all of us have that standoffish, don’t-want-people-around-our-kids attitude,” LaRosa said. “To some extent, I think that is warranted. However, I think a lot of that is fear of the unknown. I really tried to dive in and get to know Ricky. I asked people about Ricky and some of the things he’s done, where he’s been, some of the people he’s been around. I just formulated my own opinion instead of going on the opinion of others. It just kind of took off from there.” 

In his research about Sailor and the work Unsigned Preps does, he learned that they are also very selective in the people that they choose to get involved with the tour. Ideally, their desire to want to build up the kids on and off the field is a primary component that is non-negotiable from Sailor’s standpoint. 

For counselors on the tour, every moment—whether it be on the field or at various stops at restaurants or hotels—can and will be used as a teaching tool.

“I just think there is an authenticity to Ricky doing the tour specifically,” LaRosa said. “I think it's powerful. There are kids on the tour that are not Division I football players. But that is not the end all, be all. Ricky doesn’t talk about ability. He talks about character and integrity. Kids saying thank you, etiquette, behavior, keeping a tight circle and a lot of qualities that young men need to be taught, but I don’t know if they are being taught to this point in life.” 

It’s something not lost on the players as they followed along the trip. 

“It will teach them a lot,” Green—who was also making his second consecutive trip—said of the first-year campers. “It will teach these guys about life and football. It has taught us how to be around these schools and learn what it's like at this level on and off the field.” 

In Sailor’s view, those who believe that the bus tour is strictly used as a vehicle to enhance recruiting opportunities are mistaken.

Instead, he points out that it is simply a component used to bridge the gap between schools and kids who feel that the dream of playing college football is out of reach. 

“[Recruiting is] just a part of it,” Sailor said. “That’s the Jedi mind trick I use to get the kids on the bus. When we get them on the bus, the real mission is happening in mentoring the kids, showing them something different in life, bringing them around positive people, showing love to them, sharing and networking. These are the pillars of what makes this bus tour successful.” 

Only four recruits—Myers, Sails, Green and 2017 running back Makel Young—of the 38 kids on the first bus have offers from Power Five schools.

For those who are unlikely to receive a scholarship to a Power Five school, Sailor and Battle made sure to target camps in which other coaches at smaller schools would be present. 

Aside from the Wolverines' presence at the USF camp, coaches from Central Michigan, Charleston Southern, Eastern Kentucky, Elon and Savannah State were among the schools represented at various stops along this year's tour.

However, due to the bond that Sailor and Battle have been able to develop with coaches at various schools over the years, the other 34 prospects on the bus were able to have a similar experience to those of their peers who are already on the radar of the power programs.

At three of the stops on this year’s tour, all of the kids were able to take tours of each campus, stadium and athletic facilities and be addressed by coaches on all of those staffs. 

"[Their hospitality] shows you the passion that a lot of these college football coaches understand and care about kids and not just football either," Battle said. "I think it’s a testament to the universities that we visit that they open their doors to us to let kids come in and live out their dreams. While some of these kids won’t get to play at these schools, they can still be inspired to want to reach higher in their goals. [The college coaches] have compassion and want to be great role models and help young men become productive citizens in society."

Even for parents such as Brooks and Ray Ray McCloud Jr.—who served as one of the chaperones on the first bus—who can take their kids to schools on an individual basis, they see the value in the experience of letting their sons embark on this journey with other kids who they may not know, but have the same goals and aspirations.

“Whether you have an offer or not, you get to walk through and meet all of these big-time coaches, see what type of workouts the kids at these schools do, and experience college life,” McCloud said. “You may not be able to play at this college, but you may be good enough to play at another one. It gives the kids an idea of what the highest level is like and I think that’s a valuable thing. If you get reps against an elite player in settings like this, it’s like a measuring stick where a kid can say, ‘I’m almost there.’”

A majority of the campers on this year’s tour will never play college football, and even fewer will do so at a Power Five conference.

While that dream may not come true for those kids, just getting to these universities represents the first step toward formulating a plan for success in the future for all of them.

For Sailor and his associates, that in and of itself is an accomplishment that stimulates the mind and motivates kids to find a way to get back there.

“To be honest, I never thought I’d get the chance to see some of these schools,” Sails said. “I finally got the opportunity to come and show what I can do. A lot of people in Tampa don’t get this chance to come out-of-state and see these programs like we do. It’s really an unforgettable experience.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. 

Follow @SanjayKirpalani