Recruiting Report: Jaedyn McCallup (2018)
“I definitely feel like I have a chip on my shoulder. I just think about all of the work that I put in and I feel like I deserve to go somewhere to play basketball, for as much as I love it,” said Jaedyn McCallup (2018), a 6’5” wing/forward from Canton McKinley.
Coming off a summer in which McCallup wasn’t able to play grassroots ball because of his job responsibilities, he’s yet to receive any college interest.
“I just want people to know that I’m willing to go to any college to play for anybody, in order to make the team better,” McCallup told us.
“I just believe that you got to get it any way you can get it. So, if I don’t get an offer, I probably will walk-on, D-II, JUCO, anywhere.”
Besides basketball, McCallup will also look for a school where he can study sports broadcasting. He currently carries a 3.1 GPA and ACT score of 19 on his transcript.
Although coaches probably haven’t seen McCallup play since last season, he’s been reshaping his game behind the scenes.
“I’ve been working a lot with my handling and been doing a lot of lifting, trying to gain weight for this season. I plan on playing a different position this year … I’m probably going to play the 3-spot, stretch-4, instead of playing the 5,” McCallup said.
Last season, McCallup was a bit of an undersized center for a guard-oriented McKinley team. But now, moving towards the perimeter makes sense for his development.
“I feel like I’ve always had guard skills, I just never really got to use them. But I plan on using them this season … In the junior season, we started having open gyms and I felt more comfortable playing as a guard. So, in open gyms, I started bringing the ball up the court,” McCallup said.
Since that time, McCallup proved himself capable of being a guard during summer league play in June.
“I’m quick off my first step because I’m long. I’m a good sharp-shooter and I’ve always had that,” McCallup told us, when we asked him to explain this updated version of his playing style.
At 6’5”, McCallup could see more recruitment on the wing. It will be the first time scouts will have seen him with this new look, giving next season’s McKinley team another dimension of intrigue.
During the season, folks can expect McCallup to pair up with fellow Deontae McCollum as leader of the team, both emotionally and in terms of production.