Kaplan High got a taste if big time football recruiting

Kaplan High has experienced college football coaches recruiting players in the past but nothing like what they went through with senior Jalen Bates.
Bates, a 6-foot-5, 235 pound defensive end, became one of the most sought out football players in Louisiana over the last year.
This school year, coaches from Alabama, Texas A&M, Arizona State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Michigan, Oregon State, TCU, Southern Mississippi, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, UL-Lafayette, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis State, and Texas Tech were all in the hunt for the Kaplan product.
On Oct. 7, 2014 Bates surprised many by committing to the Arizona State Sun Devils, a team from the Pac. 12.
Wednesday morning at 7:30, he made it official by signing his scholarship papers to attend Arizona State and faxed it to the school.
On Thursday, Bates seemed a little more relaxed because he was not being called to the front office to be looked at by college football coaches who were unable to speak to a recruit during a dead period.
“I am glad it is over with,” said Bates Thursday morning.
Bates has experienced what many athletes would love to experience. The 3-Star rated football player was being sought out by Top 20 Division I football teams for the last six months.
They called, they texted, they visited and they also sent him plenty of mail. He received hundreds of letters that filled up large trash.
Before he committed, he visited the campuses of Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and LSU.
Helping him sort out the recruiting war were Kaplan assistant coach Tim Gabor and Kaplan athletic director Craig Blanchard.
Both coaches brought him to football camps and tried to keep the recruiting coaches in-line.
It (big time recruiting) was new to everyone at Kaplan High,” said Blanchard. “It was an eye-opening experience.”
Blanchard remembers a day at school when there were assistant coaches from LSU, Alabama, Texas Tech, Kansas State, University of Michigan, and Ole Miss all in the front office wanting to speak about Bates, check his grades and watch him practice.
“I remember sitting in LSU Head Football Coach Les Miles’ office with Jaylen,” said Craig. “It was a neat experience for me, so I can imagine what Jalen was going through.”
Blanchard praised how Bates handled recruiting and how mature he was the entire time.
One of the best advice Blanchard gave to Bates was telling him the day he is 100 percent sure he wants to attend a certain university, honor his commitment by not changing his mind.
“I told him do not commit if you are not 100 percent sure,” Blanchard added. “Don’t be the guy who changes his mind.”
Bates said he thought about visiting Michigan and Louisville but remembered what he promised Blanchard and never made arrangements.
Bates visited Arizona State by himself and said he fell in love with the campus and scenery.
“It was paradise,” Bates said about Arizona State.
Not a bad way to end his four years at Kaplan High School. He will be going from Cajun Country to “paradise.”
The crazy thing is that when he was a freshman at Kaplan, he planned to quit football because he thought his future was in the NBA.
Blanchard and Gabor convinced him to stay, which turned out to be a great decision for Bates.