MERCED COLLEGE HITTER IMPRESSED BY FRESNO STATE TRIP

Merced College safety Earl "Bam Bam" Chambers holds one offer from an Atlantic Coast Conference school, but one university near him made a strong impression on him (photo courtesy of Hudl.com). 

Merced College safety Earl Chambers cradles just one scholarship offer in his possession: a pledge from Louisville.

But could a nearby Mountain West Conference university come through as offer No. 2?

Chambers and some of his Blue Devil teammates, including mega-talented defensive back Devron Davis who holds more than 30 scholarship offers, took the drive down Highway 99 on July 17 to visit Fresno State. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Chambers said the Bulldog coaches left a positive imprint on his mind following the unofficial visit.

“The coaches were very cool and they made me feel wanted there,” Chambers said.

The Fresno State visit started at 10:30 a.m and wrapped up at 3 p.m, Chambers said. He and the rest of his Blue Devil comrades got a chance to wear the black Fresno State uniforms while touring the campus.

Chambers poses for a picture while wearing the Fresno State black uniform (photo contributed). 

He added that Bulldog head coach Tim DeRuyter was approachable and up-front to him and his teammates.

“He was great toward us. He was actually answering all of our questions and concerns,” Chambers said.

Last season at Merced, Chambers crashed down at the line of scrimmage and collected 43 total tackles, including three stops that saw him halt a ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage. He earned his nickname “Bam Bam” because he shows no fear with sprinting down the middle and bulldoze his shoulder pads into a running back or wide receiver.

Chambers is part of a stacked contingent of future NCAA Division I athletes at the junior college. Along with Davis, center Ty Allen, defensive tackle Kamilo Tongamoa, offensive tackles Xzavier McAllister and Joseph Orinstein and lastly, running back Josh Stevens have all been courted by different colleges. Even though most of Merced College’s most wanted college prospects line up in the trenches, Chambers said he believes one other area is the strength of the Blue Devils.

“Our team is stacked with talent and the whole defense is a strength. But if I had to pick, our true strength is the secondary,” Chambers said.

Chambers and Davis spearhead the Blue Devil no fly zone. While Davis puts the lockers on wide receivers from his cornerback spot on passing plays, Chambers patrols the middle like a spy drone in the sky. Davis – who’s been offered by Fresno State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Baylor and Alabama – described Chambers as an aggressive tone setter for the Blue Devil secondary.

“He’s very long and a big hitter. He’s one of the hardest hitters on our team,” Davis said. “He’s definitely a sleeper and I think he’s a good player overall.”

Chambers, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and played high school football at Jefferson Davis High in Montgomery, Ala., adds that he’s gotten interest from Illinois, Idaho, Utah State and Colorado State via letters.

But now he can add the 2014 Mountain West runner up to the list of schools taking a closer look at him. Chambers wasn’t just drawn to the Bulldog coaches, he said he was impressed with the entire campus and program.

“The facilities at Fresno State were great and makes it feel like you’re at home,” Chambers said. “Plus, their program is so great and it’s on the come up.”