And you thought you could get rid of me, didn't you?
I just caught with Rivals100 inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell of Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan. Mitchell, as you all well know, is one of the country's most highly-regarded linebackers and sits second among all inside 'backers across the country on Rivals.com's rankings. His offer list and college interest is a who's who of the top programs in America:
“I’ve been staying in contact with Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, and some others. I’ve recently visited Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn all within the past month," Mitchell said. "I’m visiting Ohio State next week and I’m looking forward to that one. I’m going to Clemson on April 22nd.”
In addition to those schools, his offer list includes other powerhouses like LSU, Florida, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, et al. If you name them, they've probably offered. Of course, the Buckeyes can go toe-to-toe with any of these programs and have made their presence felt in Mitchell's recruitment early on.
“I love it [at Ohio State]. They just keep impressing me with putting guys in the league – lots of first rounders. That’s what I want. I want to be developed and get put into the league," Mitchell explained.
His pending visit will be his second to the Columbus area after taking in a game day this fall when the Buckeyes defeated Michigan in Ohio Stadium. While that was an unforgettable experience for everyone in the stadium, his second visit will be focused on discerning what Ohio State can offer outside of its game day environment - the intricacies of the program.
“I visited before, but on my last visit, I just visited for the game, so I didn’t get to do much of a tour of campus or anything like that. This one is going to be more about the program and getting a chance to talk with the coaches and players one-on-one," Mitchell said. "I have a great relationship with coach Davis, we’re talking weekly. We’ve got a good relationship there.”
Mitchell told me that he plans to make a final decision in November or December after official visits and more trips throughout the spring and summer, so this upcoming visit will be key for the Buckeyes in maintain their place in the mix of the recruitment. To that end, he explained what else he's looking for in his future college.
“Football isn’t going to last forever obviously, so I’m looking for a school with a great business program. I’m looking into academics. Those are the main two things,” said Mitchell, referring back to NFL production as he touched on earlier.
I watched Mitchell today in 7v7 action in Pittsburgh as his Mach1 team traveled up from Virginia Beach to compete at a Pylon 7v7 event. I'll be watching him again tomorrow and after tomorrow's action wraps up, I can pass along some evaluation notes and things of that nature.
My early impression is that he looks to me like a player who very well may outgrow the linebacker position and have to transition into defensive end. He's athletic and moves very well side-to-side, but he's already at 240 pounds and some of that is bad weight. As a college S&C program reshapes his body, he's going to add serious muscle. He's just built wide and thick as well and kind of reminds me of a taller, longer Raekwon in that aspect. He's already bigger than Raekwon by my eyes and should only continue to get bigger and stronger. Mitchell intends to play inside linebacker in college, but I really wouldn't be shocked if this kid is a defensive end two, two and a half years down the road.
I just caught with Rivals100 inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell of Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan. Mitchell, as you all well know, is one of the country's most highly-regarded linebackers and sits second among all inside 'backers across the country on Rivals.com's rankings. His offer list and college interest is a who's who of the top programs in America:
“I’ve been staying in contact with Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, and some others. I’ve recently visited Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn all within the past month," Mitchell said. "I’m visiting Ohio State next week and I’m looking forward to that one. I’m going to Clemson on April 22nd.”
In addition to those schools, his offer list includes other powerhouses like LSU, Florida, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, et al. If you name them, they've probably offered. Of course, the Buckeyes can go toe-to-toe with any of these programs and have made their presence felt in Mitchell's recruitment early on.
“I love it [at Ohio State]. They just keep impressing me with putting guys in the league – lots of first rounders. That’s what I want. I want to be developed and get put into the league," Mitchell explained.
His pending visit will be his second to the Columbus area after taking in a game day this fall when the Buckeyes defeated Michigan in Ohio Stadium. While that was an unforgettable experience for everyone in the stadium, his second visit will be focused on discerning what Ohio State can offer outside of its game day environment - the intricacies of the program.
“I visited before, but on my last visit, I just visited for the game, so I didn’t get to do much of a tour of campus or anything like that. This one is going to be more about the program and getting a chance to talk with the coaches and players one-on-one," Mitchell said. "I have a great relationship with coach Davis, we’re talking weekly. We’ve got a good relationship there.”
Mitchell told me that he plans to make a final decision in November or December after official visits and more trips throughout the spring and summer, so this upcoming visit will be key for the Buckeyes in maintain their place in the mix of the recruitment. To that end, he explained what else he's looking for in his future college.
“Football isn’t going to last forever obviously, so I’m looking for a school with a great business program. I’m looking into academics. Those are the main two things,” said Mitchell, referring back to NFL production as he touched on earlier.
I watched Mitchell today in 7v7 action in Pittsburgh as his Mach1 team traveled up from Virginia Beach to compete at a Pylon 7v7 event. I'll be watching him again tomorrow and after tomorrow's action wraps up, I can pass along some evaluation notes and things of that nature.
My early impression is that he looks to me like a player who very well may outgrow the linebacker position and have to transition into defensive end. He's athletic and moves very well side-to-side, but he's already at 240 pounds and some of that is bad weight. As a college S&C program reshapes his body, he's going to add serious muscle. He's just built wide and thick as well and kind of reminds me of a taller, longer Raekwon in that aspect. He's already bigger than Raekwon by my eyes and should only continue to get bigger and stronger. Mitchell intends to play inside linebacker in college, but I really wouldn't be shocked if this kid is a defensive end two, two and a half years down the road.
