Yes, go see the school.
You want to pick the school because you want to go to school and achieve a degree there. You want the coach to know you like his program. Football will be your vehicle to get a degree.
Yes, to get on a team, whether it is by scholarship or walk on you need to have a relationship with a coach.
This starts by meeting the coach.
I would call ahead to make appointment, however, our player stopped into schools, some he did not call in advance because it was a drive by on the route to another school. The football office, always called or went down the hall and got a coach, took him to the weight room to meet the coach.
You should have your grades and test scores and highlights with you to show the coach and admissions.
Many of the coaches set up the campus tour led by a graduate assistant. They called players to meet him or joined him at lunch. The football office called the academic offices or deans for him. The academic side of each school needs to be explored.
Our player went to a camp for an hour. This was after a tour of the facility, because the camp was on-going. Our player was invited to a camp for a day, at another school, because he told the coach he was not financially able to afford the camp. He always toured the school, looked at the academic, admissions, and financial aid offices when he was on a campus visit.
Yes, like Ohiodad told you:
“In my opinion, camps are of little value if you are going in cold, and your definition of a successful camp is getting an offer at or immediately after the camp.”