The reason for Larry Borom's sudden Missouri commitment: Family, family, family

As Joelle Hershman was driving with her son, Larry Borom, on the 10-hour trip from Detroit to Columbia, she was excited to check out Mizzou’s campus and see Borom compete in the first annual Night at the Zou elite football camp.

But as she, Borom, and Barry Odom talked in Odom’s office, there were soon tears falling down her face. Borom became the Tigers’ sixth commit of the 2017 class.

"He didn’t tell me. I had no clue," Hershman said of the reasons for the tears. "I don’t know what to do. I didn’t know."

Borom only surfaced on the Tigers’ radar in June, but a month later he felt comfortable enough to make his pledge. Borom felt a strong brotherhood throughout his high school career at Brother Rice, and knew he wanted to be apart of that at the next level. Mizzou’s pitch to him and his mother was to be apart of the Tiger family, both strongly felt that message during the recruiting process.

"They kept reiterating: family, family, family," Borom said. "That just won me over."

It’s not a short commute for Hershman to see her son, but she knows that he will be in good hands with Odom and the coaching staff.

"I’m sending my son a long way away from home," Hershman said. "It means a lot that they’re about family and really embracing that."

Evidence of the strong brotherhood was found in weight room at the Mizzou Athletic Training Complex during the Night at the Zou camp. When it was Borom’s turn to take repetitions of 225 pounds, there was added motivation.

Through the loud blaring of music from Future and A$AP Ferg, Mizzou recruits, commits and players cheered and clapped as Borom pushed up each rep. He finished with 20 of them.

"It’s a good, hype environment," Borom said. "It’s what you want when you’re lifting."

With college-ready strength and a 6'6, 335-pound frame according to Rivals, Borom looks to continue working on his game the rest of the summer. Though he’s looking forward to competing his senior year, down the line he’s eager to work with new Tigers offensive line coach Glen Elarbee full-time.

"He’s great," Borom said of Elarbee. "It’s going to be fun working with him."

Elarbee and Odom have won Hershman’s trust, and she has high hopes for what her son can accomplish under their tutelage.

"I think the coaching staff is phenomenal," Hershman said. "I believe that they’re going be able to really elevate him and take him to the next level."

Mizzou commit Larry Borom #NightAtTheZou pic.twitter.com/LTpuE9tILF

— ᴏsᴄᴀʀ ɢᴀᴍʙʟᴇ (@OscarGambler) July 24, 2016

Toward the end of the competition, Borom got to show off his skillset in live action against defensive linemen. As Borom got into his kickstep, he put his hands on the defender. With ease, Borom pushed him to the ground for an easy one-on-one victory. A look of pride and a smile appeared on Hershman’s face.

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