Productive RB Recruit Joseph Himon Recaps Trio of Visits, Talks Decision Timetable

Trips to Missouri, Vanderbilt and Northwestern are in the books for one of America's best backs

In searching for production out of the backfield, one would be hard pressed to find better numbers than what Joseph Himon tallied at Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy in 2020. 

The compact running back ran for 1,925 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding another 1,068 yards and nine scores as a pass-catcher in helping the Bruins the class 5A state championship crown without a loss on their record. 

Naturally, college interest and scholarship offers have been plentiful for the class of 2022 prospect and he has been busy on the visit trail in the month of June now that the recruiting dead period is in the rear view mirror. Himon took official visits to Missouri and Vanderbilt before a midweek trip to Northwestern, where he was impressed by Pat Fitzgerald's staff.

"The best part of the visit was just being on campus and being able to interact with the players and coaching staff, and also seeing the amazing facilities and campus," he told SI All-American. "Northwestern’s pitch was outstanding. The way they were explaining how they develop their players and get them ready for the next level was great and just having a great coaching staff comes with that and also the academics speaks for itself." 

Had a great time at Northwestern! Thank you💜 @CoachLou34 @coachfitz51 pic.twitter.com/u7czfHbYPT

— Joseph R. Himon II (@JosephHimon) June 17, 2021

Admitting the Big Ten program "has a real chance" in the recruitment, Himon focused on the staff itself, including a coach with a local tie. 

"I just feel a vibe and a loving feel when I’m around the those guys and Coach (Lou) Ayeni and I are actually from the same town so we have a connection there," he said.

The Wildcat visit stacked up well with the previous two as the evaluation of program success and academics takes shape. 

"Missouri has a great coaching staff and they're on the come up in the SEC, but the academic part doesn’t really compare," he said. "But that’s where Vanderbilt comes in. Vanderbilt and Northwestern's academics go toe-to-toe. What concerns me and others about Vanderbilt is they haven’t won very many games in the past few years, but they just hired a great coaching staff so they are in the process of rebuilding, but Northwestern is a winning program and is very close to being the best in the Big 10."

Louisville will play host to the big play back next weekend to round out the June trips, but the summer decision won't come down to the quartet of official visit destinations from June. Himon says programs like Miami, Arkansas State, Tulane and Louisiana Tech also remain in play. 

The final call won't come from a singular source. It will be vetted by many in Himon's camp.

"Just really buckling down and seeing the pros and cons of these schools and praying about it and talking with my high school coaches and parents to make sure I’m making the best decision," he said. 

Anticipate a verbal commitment from one of the most productive backs in America "sometime in July."

Himon was named MaxPreps 2020 Arkansas Player of the Year and a second-team All-America selection. 

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