Tag Archives: Duke Football

Statesville CB Breon Borders commits to Duke

CB Breon Borders led Statesville with 8 interceptions as a junior

After a short lull, Duke football picked up another early commitment in the class of 2013 on Thursday. Statesville CB Breon Borders gave his verbal pledge to the Blue Devils, joining fellow in-state CB Dequavais Mann and Virginia CBs Evrett Edwards and Jake Kite in the future Duke secondary. The 6'1" 170 pound prospect helped lead Statesville to the state playoffs and a 7-5-1 overall record as a junior; he finished the season with 48 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 6 pass break-ups. Borders picked up his first scholarship offer on a February unofficial visit to Durham, which he described as a dream come true, and declared Duke his early leader. He made his decision official on Thursday by informing the Duke coaches, and ultimately chose Duke over an offer from Georgia State and strong interest from Clemson, ECU, UNC, and Wake Forest.

Borders caught up with BDN after his high school track meet this afternoon.

BDN: What led to your decision to commit to Duke today?

I've wanted to go to Duke ever since freshman year, plus I am ready to get recruiting out of the way so I can focus on my senior year and football.

BDN: How did you inform the coaches of your decision and what did they have to say?

I just called up Coach Cutcliffe and I told him that, "Coach, I'm ready to commit." And he was just so excited, he was so excited, I was excited. It was just amazing, it was amazing!

BDN: I know we spoke after you took a visit to Durham earlier this spring and you've had some other schools recruiting you as well. What was it about that  Duke that made it the school for you?

I just really connected with the coaches and I really liked the vibe around campus. I think I could come and play within my second year at Duke.

BDN: I'm sure Duke fans will be excited to hear about your commitment. Is there anything you want to let them know?

I just want them to know that they got a good athlete, a long athlete, and they got a corner that's going to come to work every day.

BDN: Congratulations on your commitment, Breon, and best of luck this fall!

Yes sir, thank you!

 

Highlights

 

Join BDN Premium to discuss the newest Blue Devil and Duke Football happenings year round.

BDN Premium Football Recruiting Update – Part Eine

Duke is off to a hot start in the class of 2013, led by CB Evrett Edwards

Ja, Part Eine. As in part eine von zwei. Go ahead, Google Translate it. It means there's even more coming, but only if you're a BDN Premium Member.

"I love Duke Football, but it's impossible to keep up with recruiting. There's just too many players, too many camps, too many rankings. Basketball recruiting is so much easier to follow."

We hear that a lot, and it's time somebody did something about it. #dukegang is off to a great start in the class of 2013, so there's no better time to start following Duke Football recruiting. Read on for the first installment of our BDN Premium Football Recruiting update.

[private]

I don't actually speak German, by the way. Maybe we'll do a Football Friday in a foreign language one day. That would be something. Ok, so football recruiting is all over the place (kind of like my writing) and impossible to follow, right? Well, let's simplify it, for all of us. Yes, there are hundreds of prospects interested in and visiting Duke; yes, there are hundreds of prospects that Duke is interested in or evaluating. The key, my friends, is to find where those two groups overlap. Since we know the Blue Devils have some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, let's start there. Here's an educated guess as to the top of Duke's defensive recruiting board:

Defensive Linemen

None in the truck so far, here, but a promising start with a couple of big-time players.

Devin Washington is a 6'2" 225 pound defensive end prospect from Orlando, FL. He took a visit to Duke a few weeks ago and came away impressed. "Duke was amazing, left a lasting impression on me. It was extraordinary! So blessed to have the opportunity to be able to have this experience." One of the highlights of his trip was being able to take his father, a big Duke fan, out onto Coach K court in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The staff remains in regular contact with him, led by Coach Cutcliffe and Coach Collins. But, before you go out and start buying Washington Duke jerseys (puns are fun!), the Blue Devils have quite a bit of competition, which should come as no surprise for a player who has four stars after his name and recently took home DL MVP honors at the Nike camp in Orlando. Devin picked up his 25th offer today, from Purdue. Washington is expected to put together a list of his top schools after he wraps up spring practice, and there's a good chance that Duke will make that cut, but they're likely to be joined by several others, most likely NC State, South Carolina, and UCF.

DE Devin Washington enjoyed his visit to Durham

Maurice Hurst is a 6'2" 275 pound defensive tackle prospect from Westwood, MA. He recently wrapped up a whirlwind college tour, and included a stop in Durham. In all likelihood, the Blue Devils have some ground to make up, but Hurst is a top-notch student and would fill a huge need in the middle of Duke's defensive line.

Jaylen Miller and Jay Woods are two more of the Blue Devils' top DL targets, with Miller likely projecting as a DE and Woods a DT at the college level. BDN caught up with both earlier this spring, and the Duke staff is looking forward to hosting both prospects on unofficial visits soon. For Miller, Duke will face stiff competition from Florida and in-state Clemson and South Carolina, as well as rival UNC. Coach Jones, a South Carolina native, heads up Miller's recruitment for the Blue Devils. Woods' list of suitors continues to grow and includes national powers like USC and Nebraska, but the Blue Devils will have their shot, led by Coach Middleton.

Linebacker

I still say Jim Collins is under appreciated for the job he has done with the linebacking corps in Durham. Year after year, he puts out All-ACC caliber players, and landed a very good one this past recruiting year in Keilin Rayner. The Blue Devils are looking to add more playmakers to their linebackers, and have targeted a few of the nation's elite so far.

Michael Deeb is a 6'2" 235 pound linebacker from Davie, Florida. Deeb played his first year at linebacker as a junior, racking up 92 tackles, after starting his career as a defensive end. He is cut from a similar mold as Duke's Kelby and Kyler Brown - a big, physical specimen with deceptive speed and great instincts. Boasting a 3.8 GPA, he's earned a host of suitors, which include programs like Penn State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. Deeb is planning a college tour this summer, which will hopefully include a stop in Durham.

Oren Burks, a Virginia native, is the other top target at linebacker, a player the Blue Devils offered a couple weeks ago on his unofficial visit to Durham. At 6'3" and 200 pounds, Burks delivers a punishing hit and is being courted by a number of programs. His HS, South County, recently produced a pair of Virginia Tech LBs, and the Hokies are among the schools to have offered the standout junior.

Cornerback

With three of the five CBs on campus as upperclassmen, the Blue Devils will need to reload at cornerback in the class of 2013, and reloading they are. With two cornerbacks committed, Duke is still looking for more.

Evrett Edwards is a stud. Sure, the Blue Devils have brought in some athletic cornerbacks in recent classes, but none have the potential to become an All-ACC shutdown cornerback like Edwards. While Duke was one of the first to discover this diamond in the rough, playing for a 6-4 Woodbridge team, they are certainly not the last. Edwards recently cracked the double-digit offer threshold and shows no signs of slowing down. Several schools have stopped by to take in his spring practice, including ACC power Florida State. After his commitment to Duke, Edwards took unofficial visits to Illinois and Northwestern, which he had scheduled prior to his decision. Luckily for Blue Devils' fans, Edwards appears to be a man of his word, and his commitment to Duke remains solid.

Dequavais Mann is a hard first name to spell, but a very nice in-state sleeper prospect (another player on a not-so-great HS team). A player with good natural speed and athleticism, he's impressed on the spring circuit and is one of #dukegang's most vocal supporters on Twitter. He's a solid addition to the program and a firm commitment at this point.

Malik Rucker is another impressive athlete who projects at  either the cornerback or safety position, and a player that the Duke staff has been in on early. At 5'11" and 175 pounds from Minneapolis, MN, Rucker comes from the heart of Big 10 country, but has interest in the ACC. His cousin played wide receiver at Boston College, and another cousin played running back at Iowa State; but, with 16 scholarship offers, he's wide open at this point. Expect Rucker to take some weekend visits over the next few months and look to make a decision in the fall.

Godwin Igwebuike is another athlete from Big 10 country (Pickerington, Ohio) near the top of the Blue Devils' recruiting board. With the potential to play on either side of the ball, Igwebuike has amassed over a dozen scholarship offers and is drawing interest from regional powers Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Duke was on Igwebuike early, as Derek Jones extended an offer on a recruiting visit last December. The Blue Devils hope to get the powerful athlete on campus later this year.

Jake Kite will be a force in the Duke secondary.

Safety

With one commitment already on board at safety, Duke is looking to find another player or two to help fill the void left by now departed All-ACC safety Matt Daniels. With several upperclassmen poised to graduate in 2013, the Blue Devils can offer early playing time for impact players at the safety position in their 4-2-5 scheme.

Jake Kite is as good as his highlight film, by all accounts. He plays smart, he plays mean, and he hits hard. This was a very good pickup early in the recruiting season for the Blue Devils, and he's a solid commitment, though plenty of other schools will come calling.

Speaking of poaching recruits, two can play that game. Duke remains in pursuit of Durham's own Korrin Wiggins, a safety from Hillside HS, alma mater of Duke's Desmond Scott, Corey Gattis, and Brandon Watkins. Wiggins, of course, committed to the boys in Columbia blue in February after watching Austin Rivers bury the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. It may be too little, too late, but Coach Middleton is leading the charge to try and persuade Wiggins to a different shade of blue.

Austin Logan is a good-looking safety prospect from Tallahassee, Florida. An outstanding student-athlete, his list includes the usual suspects for a player of his caliber - Stanford, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Duke. Of course, there are plenty of others, but expect those four schools to be in the running for 6'1" 180 pound prospect.

 

For the superstitious among you, that's the lucky 13 at the top of Duke's defensive recruiting board in the class of 2013. Now, I ask, was that still too overwhelming? Can't you spare a few of those brain cells you use to memorize Bachelorette contestants? Ugh, well, we tried. More to come, as we break down the top of the offensive recruiting board sometime soon. And yes, I'll work on a Football Friday, too. Spoiled rotten, all of you.

[/private]

BDN Football Friday kicks off the 2012 season preview – September 1 vs. FIU

More beer, Blue Devil Nation!

So, how was National Beer Day? Yeah, I bet. If only we could have that every weekend...oh wait, it's Beerfest in Raleigh this weekend. Sweet. It's also time for Football Friday.

Since the Blue Devils managed to go an entire week without a commitment, there's not much new on the recruiting front to talk about. The Spring Evaluation period kicks off this weekend, and with several top prospects coming off the board over the past few weeks, the coaching staff will be out in full force to check in on prospects and extend new scholarship offers. BDN Premium Members will be the first to know about the latest on Duke's recruiting efforts. You see what I just did there?

Spring practice is officially in the books, but the team continues to work to improve on an individual level. The spring semester is winding down and we wish the best to all our departing seniors, and a strong finish to the academic year to all our student-athletes. In just a few short weeks, the newest members of #dukegang will move into campus, and the preparations for the 2012 season will begin in earnest. With that in mind, it's time to kickoff our look at 2012 Duke Football schedule. The scheduling gods didn't do Duke any favors, as the Blue Devils will face one of the toughest schedules in the ACC and the country. It all starts with the home opener against a tough FIU team on September 1st in Durham. 

Let's get this season started!

September 1: FIU at Duke

Under Head Coach David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils are 2-2 in their season openers, pulling out victories against James Madison and Elon, while losing twice to pesky Richmond. This fall, Duke opens their season with a FBS opponent for the first time since a 2007 defeat to Connecticut.  In 2011, the Blue Devils traveled to South Florida in week 5 and pulled out a thrilling 31-27 victory against T.Y. Hilton and the Golden Panthers. FIU went on to finish the season 8-5, earning the program's second ever bowl game. For the second offseason in a row, Head Coach Mario Cristobal turned down multiple BCS coaching opportunities to remain at FIU. In 2012, the Golden Panthers remain a program on the rise, despite the losses of Hilton and QB Wes Carroll; with a favorable schedule, they should be expected to compete for another Sun Belt Championship.

Offensively, FIU may not be as explosive as a year ago, but return enough starters to remain a formidable threat to score points. The Golden Panthers return their top rusher in Kedrick Rhodes, and four starters along the offensive line. Two young QBs, sophomore Jake Medlock and redshirt-freshman Laranzo Hammonds, are the frontrunners to take over for Carroll, and Hammonds may even see time in an occasional Wildcat scheme. Moreso than a year ago, the Golden Panthers will look to have a lot of success on the ground, making them an excellent early season test for the Blue Devils' defensive line. Other than Hilton, the Golden Panthers return all of their top receivers, led by senior Wayne Times. A year ago, the Blue Devils allowed 568 total yards to this offense, and if it weren't for a late fumble forced by Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, may have come home with a loss. This year, the Duke defense will have to be more effective than last season's "bend but not break" effort against a very deep and experienced Golden Panther offense. 

Thankfully, T.Y. Hilton will be long gone for the NFL by September, but FIU will be just as tough.

When Duke traveled to FIU a year ago, the Blue Devils' coaches were concerned about the tremendous speed of the Golden Panthers' defense. Sean Renfree and the Duke offense were up to the challenge, putting up 31 points and 384 yards of total offense. Most encouraging, however, was that the Blue Devils finished the game without giving up a sack or a turnover. As they prepare for their 2012 season opener, the Duke coaches will have many of the same fears, as the Golden Panthers return 10 of 11 starters on defense. Overall, FIU's defense was inconsistent in 2011, but did finish the season by holding their final 6 opponents to no more than 20 points. With another year's experience, this defense will be a stout challenge for the new up-tempo Duke offense. In particular, the Blue Devils will have to contain a speedy pass rush led by senior DE Tourek Williams. The secondary is just as formidable, highlighted by senior safety Jonathan Cyprien. In all, the Golden Panthers should have 16 upperclassmen on their defensive 2-deep entering the fall.

This isn't a pretty picture we're painting, here, is it? Much like a year ago, the Blue Devils will have to come out of the gates ready to play if they expect to start the season with a win. A year ago, a less talented but confident Richmond team was able to steal a win in Wallace Wade Stadium. Coming off two straight bowl appearances, the Golden Panthers will be just as confident, and seeking revenge for last season's loss in Miami. Over the past few seasons, we've seen how crucial a good start can be for this improving, but still fragile, Duke program. This season will be no different, and if the Blue Devils have any hope of improving upon their 3-win total of the past two seasons, they will have to play at a high level on September 1. It should be a great atmosphere in Wallace Wade Stadium, filled with the hope and optimism of a new season, and it should also be a highly competitive game on the field. We can't wait for kickoff. WE ARE DUKE.

 

Georgia star DT Jay Woods plans to visit Duke

Georgia DT Jay Woods already holds 15 scholarship offers

Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe has stated publicly that the quickest way to improve a football team is to find a dominant defensive tackle to man the inside of a defense. Out on the recruiting trail, the Blue Devils have found just that type of player in big Georgia DT Jay Woods. Woods is a 6'3" 275 pound prospect from Jackson HS. As a junior, Woods starred on both sides of the ball, earning a selection in the AT&T Risingseniors.com Georgia Junior Bowl. In addition to his on-field accomplishments, Woods also gets it done in the classroom, boasting a 3.9 GPA and memberships in the National Honor Society and Health Occupation Students of America. His combination of talents might make him an ideal fit in Duke blue, but the Blue Devils have plenty of competition for the Georgia star, who already holds 15 scholarship offers. BDN caught up with Jay for an update on his recruiting process. [private]

BDN: How would you describe your strengths as a player?

My strength as a player is that I feel like I have a good pass rush on the quarterback and I’m a downhill, get off the line kind of player.

BDN: What are you working on this offseason as you prepare for your senior year?

Things I’m working on - my body weight and everything. My weaknesses I feel I need to improve on is against the double teams and the run block.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

The major thing is the education, this is my first priority, I tell all the coaches, wherever I’m going I have to have a good education.

BDN: That’s great that you’re emphasizing your education; is there a particular field you want to study?

Yes, my major is pharmacy and my minor is physical therapy.

BDN: Where do you stand with offers and interest from schools now?

I have 15 offers right now. The schools that are recruiting me the hardest is in between Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, even though all colleges contact me, I feel like they send me email every day of the week.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit or do you have plans to take any visits later this spring or summer?

Right now the schools that I’ve visited are Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, South Florida, and I’m planning on visiting the colleges that have offered me like Missouri, Duke, Vandy, Ole Miss, and I’m trying to get out to USC for like an official visit.

BDN: Living in the Southeast, are there any schools or conferences that you are particularly interested in, or followed closely growing up?

Right now I’m open to trying to go anywhere. Growing up, I loved Georgia and everything, but right now I’m open to everywhere. All the colleges that have offered me, I want to go through the process and see the pros and cons of each school.

BDN: Are there any schools that have stood out to you at this point, either on your visits or your conversations with coaches?

Right at this point, no sir, all the schools are neutral in my mind. I don’t have a favorite. I don’t have a top 5. I’m thinking of making my top 5 during the summer and picking a school during my football season.

BDN: You have several ACC schools that are interested in you and you’ve had a chance to visit Georgia Tech already. Can you talk a little bit about your interest in the ACC schools that have offered you, like Georgia Tech, Duke, and Virginia?

The ACC is close by, it’s close to home and everything, it’s not that far it’s just down the East Coast and everything. Each team that’s recruiting me from the ACC, I love the defense they run. Each team I looked at their defense that they run and I think that they would fit me. Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and there’s more that I can’t remember right now. But, the ACC is a big possibility, I feel like they have some of the top schools in the country going into next year, that’s how I feel right now.

BDN: You mentioned you hope to have a top 5 over the summer; where would you say you are in the recruiting process right now and what is the timeline for making your final decision?

Right now in my recruiting process I’m talking to coaches, making my visits to schools and everything. In summertime, mid-summer, I’m going to come up with my top 5 and then in the season I’ll take my official visits to schools and by the end of the season, or signing day, I’ll make my decision.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Jay, and best of luck.

Thank you.

[/private]

Duke stands out to hard-working Arbor View OL Elijah George

Duke has stood out early to Arbor View OL Elijah George

In the class of 2012, the Blue Devils gained a big commitment from the state of Nevada in RB Shaquille Powell. Coach Cutcliffe and the Duke staff are hoping to add another player to the program from the Las Vegas area in OL Elijah George. George is a 6'5" 245 pound lineman from Arbor View HS in Las Vegas. Playing on both sides of the ball, George helped to lead Arbor View to the Sunset Region semifinals and a 9-3 overall record as a junior, earning himself 1st Team All-Northwest Division and 2nd Team All-State honors. Not surprisingly, he has seen his recruitment heat up this spring. The Blue Devils were among the first to offer and have made a strong early impression on the big offensive line prospect. BDN caught up with the hard-working lineman over the weekend to get an update on his recruitment. [private]

 BDN: How would you describe your strengths as a player?

Well, I think that the thing that attracts colleges is my height, and how they see that I adapt to what they’re trying to accomplish on the college level. My strength on the field is that I don’t give up, I don’t care if they’re 8 feet tall or 600 pounds, no game is unbeatable, that’s how I look at it, that’s how my teammates look at it.

BDN: What are you working on this offseason as you prepare for your senior year?

In the offseason, I went to a Nike camp recently, I’ve been working on my footwork and my hand placement, and my speed, just finding ways to get better each day. I definitely hope to accomplish going to state, I want to leave my mark on my high school, just want to help put the best team out there, that’s how I look at it.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

I’m looking for most in a college is education, that’s what my family is strong about, most of my family went to college. Education will get me farther than football. I’m looking for the best education that colleges can offer me.

BDN: Where do you stand with offers and interest from schools now?

I have three from UNLV, SMU and Duke. BYU is coming to see me and I’m talking to Nebraska. But at this point, Duke is probably where I’m headed.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit or do you have plans to take any visits later this spring or summer?

I think I’m going to go see some sometime in the spring. I don’t know about Nebraska yet, my family is talking about a visit to Duke and some other colleges.

BDN: You mentioned that Duke was a school that stands out to you; what is about the Duke program that interests you?

The coaches that came to see me, I like their plans for the future about, well they’re not really known as a football school, but their mindset about making football be as big as the basketball team. I’ve been looking up their program, it just seems like they have a plan and I like where they’re going.

BDN: Are there any schools that you haven’t heard from that you are interested in, or grew up following?

Well, I grew up in LA and always wanted to go to USC, or maybe Oregon, but you know, those were just childhood dreams.

BDN: Do you have a timeline in mind for when you plan to narrow things down or make your final decision?

I don’t know, sometime around my senior year, definitely after football season, but before signing day, like a month or two before signing day.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Elijah, and best of luck.

Thank you. [/private]

Highlights from Elijah George at the Nike SPARQ Combine in Long Beach can be seen here.

Duke among the first to offer Norco RB Joseph Ajeigbe

Duke and Arizona are the first to offer Norco RB Joseph Ajeigbe

Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe has built a reputation of producing NFL quarterbacks throughout his career. In truth, his offenses have produced nearly as many NFL running backs, including players like Jamal Lewis, Deuce McAllister and Arian Foster. This fall, the Blue Devils should feature one of their deepest backfields in recent years, headlined by senior Desmond Scott along with last year's leading rusher Juwan Thompson and speedy redshirt-sophomore Josh Snead. They will be joined by two outstanding freshmen in Jela Duncan and Shaquille Powell. Duke's running backs are utilized in all areas of their offense - rushing, receiving, and blocking.

Looking ahead to the class of 2013, the Blue Devils are looking to add to their running back stable, and were among the first to offer a scholarship to Joseph Ajeigbe. Ajeigbe is a 5'9" 195 pound prospect from Norco High School in California, the same program that has produced incoming Duke safety Corbin McCarthy. In addition to McCarthy, the Norco program is known for producing hard-nosed running backs, including former Stanford star Toby Gerhart and current Stanford sophomore Kelsey Young. As a junior, Ajeigbe took over the starting running back job and flourished, finishing with 20 touchdowns and 1,673 yards rushing.

The powerful rising senior spoke with BDN about his recruitment and his interest in Duke. [private]

BDN: How would you describe your strengths as a player?

Some of my strengths are probably my speed through the hole, and my strength, and I run with a lot of power. Maybe some areas that I need to improve on would be my break-away speed, but other than that, I have pretty good vision and pretty good balance.

BDN: What are you working on this offseason as you prepare for your senior year?

I just want to be able to pull away from defenders in the secondary, just have that speed to be able to make big plays. I have good speed now, but I just want to get to that next level so I can be ready for college football, because everybody’s fast in college football so I just want to try and get to that next level. My senior year, just break a lot of records down here that are set by Toby Gerhart. I’ve been running on those overspeed treadmills, we have those incline treadmills and everything, so I’ve been running those and working with the running back coach running hills and stuff, just trying to get to that next level of speed to get ready for college.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

First and foremost for me is probably education, looking at what the school can offer me other than athletics. In case football doesn’t work out and I don’t end up in the NFL, I need something that I Can fall back on. Education is really important to me. Then I’ll be looking at the football program, how good the football program is, what I can contribute to the football program, if I can go in there and help them out, if I can fit in the offense, the coaching staff, if I feel comfortable with the coaching staff, that’s a lot of the things to take into consideration when considering a school.

BDN: Where do you stand with offers and interest from schools now?

I got offered by Arizona, that was my first offer, University of Arizona, and then a couple days after that, Duke offered me. Now, yesterday, or two days ago, I was talking to Coach Jerry Brown from Northwestern, We had like an hour-long conversation on the phone, they sound pretty interested, I think they’re going to offer me pretty soon. Around here, I’ve been talking to UCLA a lot, earlier I was hearing a lot from USC, I’m hearing from Boise State, Tennessee has been sending me a lot of letters and everything, talking to my coach. And then Cal – I’ve heard a lot from Berkeley, I’m pretty interested in Berkeley.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit or do you have plans to take any visits later this spring or summer?

UCLA and USC, they’ve been in contact with me a lot, so I went out to USC’s Junior Day, I think it was in February. I went out there and got to meet all the coaches and everything, and I like USC. A couple weeks ago, I went over to UCLA’s Junior Day, got to check that out, got to meet running backs coach Steve Broussard, we went over the offense and everything, he said he was interested in me as a player and said the next couple weeks they’d be in contact about maybe an offer or something. Other than that, I haven’t really been out to check out any other schools. I plan, probably in the summer, get on the East Coast and check out the schools that have been recruiting me like Duke, maybe get over to Tennessee, and then check out Northwestern.

BDN: You’ve obviously got schools all over the country that are recruiting you. How much of a factor will location be when you make your decision?

You know, I kind of want to keep all my options open, but I guess I would say location does play a pretty big part in it, UCLA and USC do catch my interest a lot, but I’m kind of open to anything at this point, so I’d be willing to go almost anywhere, but the closest schools, UCLA and USC, kind of do have my preference.

BDN: I know you have a teammate that will be heading to North Carolina to play at Duke this fall. How familiar are you with the program and what are your thoughts on Duke?

Yeah, Corbin [McCarthy]’s committed to Duke, so a couple months after that Duke started showing me some interest. I started looking into Duke as a football program, because I already know, well everybody knows that Duke is a good educational school, so I started looking at their football program. They’re doing some good thing in their conference and they’re trying to build a new program. I think it’s really cool to be a part of a growing program. The coaches, I’ve talked to Coach Lubick and Coach Loebner, they both seem pretty cool, they seem really interested to me as a player, and academics seem really big to them. Duke seems like a good program and I’ll have to look into that.

BDN: Do you have a timeline in mind for when you plan to narrow things down or make your final decision?

I kind of want to keep my options as open as possible, see how many scholarships I can get and keep considering and looking into schools that offer me. I might want to make a decision by sometime close to the beginning or the middle of my senior season just so I can know where I will be going by the end of my season. But for now I just want to kind of keep my options open.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Joseph, and best of luck.

Thank you, you too.

[/private]