Decision Day is Dawning for Bubba Chandler
- Taylor Vismor
- Jul 8, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 30, 2021
Bubba Chandler makes everything look easy. From throwing game-winning touchdowns to striking out the side, to committing to a power five school as a dual-sport athlete. Chandler does it all and somehow makes it all look simple.
North Oconee’s baseball team was snubbed from a well-deserved state championship opportunity after the Beneditine Cadets swept the Titans in the semifinals 6-5 and 9-0. Chandler, the now high school graduate, has taken off his red and black jersey for good.
However, he is still trying to figure out if the next jersey he puts on will come with a full-ride scholarship, or a contract and signing bonus.
North Oconee baseball coach Jay Lasley knows just how hard Chandler has worked to become the dual-sport athlete he is today.
“Well, Bubba was a kid as a freshman, you knew he had a chance to be special just based off his physical attributes,” said Lasley. “What you didn’t know was how hard Bubba was going to work in the weight room, how much he was going to compete.”
By working hard in the weight room and climbing to the top, Chandler found success on both fields. He became a household name in the area and in May 2020, Chandler verbally committed to play baseball at UGA.
But the commitment to Georgia didn’t last long.
“I didn’t really want to go to UGA to play baseball,” said Chandler. “I felt like I needed to jump on it.”
He had hoped to go to a premier baseball school like Vanderbilt, but the situation at Georgia was good enough to commit and leave his other dreams behind.
Chandler dreamt of playing football in college, but he had only received offers from smaller schools. That changed in July 2020 when Clemson began to show interest and Chandler received a call he would never forget.
“I woke up to about five missed calls and a few texts that said, ‘Hey, call this number right now.’ So, I called it,” said Chandler. “And next thing you know, he pops up on the screen and says what’s up big Bubba?”
The greeting came from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who would then offer Chandler a scholarship to play both football and baseball as a Tiger, giving the senior the best of both worlds. After his conversation with Coach Swinney, Chandler de-committed from UGA and officially became a Clemson Tiger.
Although he is currently committed to Clemson, Chandler still has a decision to make about his future. Draft analysts believe he has a chance to be a first-round draft pick in this year’s MLB draft.
“The thing with Bubba is, he’s got a good feel for the strike zone,” said Prospect Live MLB Draft director Joe Doyle. “He’s got a good feel for two breaking balls and he’s got a really quick arm.”
Having Chandler’s name in the draft conversation is common. Many teams are looking at him as a right-handed pitcher, but Chandler is also a talented switch-hitting shortstop, leading some teams to rethink his positioning.
“I’ve talked to teams that actually like him better, as a shortstop,” said MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis. “He’s a switch hitter, he’s got solid power, potential speed, he’s obviously got a really good arm, a good chance to stay at shortstop and would easily work at third base.”
Although Chandler could be an early draft pick, his passion for football and his relationship with the coaches at Clemson makes the upcoming decision a difficult one.
“Bubba wants to do well, Bubba's a pleaser,” said Lasley. “So he's going to try to make a lot of people happy.”
Despite his love for football, Doyle is blunt with his prediction.
“Someone is going to give him several million reasons to play baseball,” he said.
Draft day is quickly approaching and so is training camp at Clemson. Decision day is coming and it’s panning out to be a choice between Chandler’s head and his heart.
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