2019 OT commit Cameron Vaughn discusses decision to pick Central Michigan over South Carolina, others
At 6:12 p.m. on July 8, Cameron Vaughn made a life-changing phone call.
John Bonamego, while on his vacation, picked up on the opposite end of the call.
"I'm committed to Central Michigan!" Vaughn exclaimed.
"Fire up, Chips!" Bonamego responded.
In that moment, CMU's football coach experienced bliss. Not because he was on vacation, but because he just secured his best-ranked recruit in the 2019 class.
"Bono's all for it," Vaughn said. "He said he would be glad to have me join the class and that when he gets back to CMU, he’ll have to ring the bell."
The Haines City, Florida senior three-star offensive tackle picked CMU due to his strong relationship with Bonamego and offensive line coach Derek Frazier.
“I chose CMU because I know that I can come in early and earn playing time, win and chase a ring, which is important to me," he said. "Plus, I know it’s the perfect program for me to develop as an athlete to reach my full potential playing under Coach Frazier and Coach Bonamego. As a student, I know I can excel in the classroom and graduate.”
Picking the Chippewas of the Mid-American Conference meant leaving South Carolina of the SEC and UCF of the American Athletic Conference behind.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman picked CMU due to Bonamego and Frazier treating him as family. Vaughn is ready for Mount Pleasant to be his next home.
“I know South Carolina is a huge offer and I appreciate them giving me an opportunity to play at their school, but I know Central Michigan is the best fit for me," Vaughn said. "I like what Coach Bonamego is doing with the program. I know the program will continue to get better every year.”
Vaughn will take his official visit to Mount Pleasant in the near future. In the meantime, he is getting to know the coaches and other commits on a greater level.
“I’ve been talking to the coaching staff a lot, also other commits before I joined," Vaughn said. "We are all pretty much on the same page. I love the offense that CMU runs and I know I can be a big contributor once I get there.”
The two main CMU commits Vaughn conversed with before his commitment were Danny Motowski and Demarcus Governor, who committed on April 7 and June 20, respectively.
Upon entering school at CMU, the three-star prospect plans to study psychology and business. Vaughn said he has been interested in both for "as long as he can remember."
Despite having an offer from South Carolina and UCF, Vaughn said he plans to remain locked into the growing CMU program in the small town of Mount Pleasant.
“I’m 110 percent committed," Vaughn said.
