Jihaad Campbell was born in Erial, New Jersey where he attended Timber Creek High School and played football for three seasons before transferring to IMG Academy. In Campbell's senior season he played both wide receiver and defensive end. On offense he hauled in 15 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. On defense he totaled 45 tackles and seven sacks. Campbell committed to Clemson as a 16-year-old, but decided to re-open his commitment and decided to play at the University of Alabama.
In Campbell's first season at Alabama, he dressed in nine games and notched one tackle on the campaign. As a sophomore, the linebacker played in 13 games with eight starts and finished third on Alabama with 66 tackles, including four for loss, 1/2 a sack, one interception, and two fumble recoveries.