2014 QB Long likes Oregon, Duke
When Lebanon (Tenn.) Friendship Christian School quarterback A.J. Long decided to move from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, there were some questions about how he would adjust to football in the Southeast.
With his team riding a nine-game winning streak and just one win away from playing for a state championship, it's safe to say things have worked out well so far.
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"Our team has been phenomenal this year," Long said. "This year hasn't been as good for me statistically but win-wise this is better than any other. This team has what it takes and it feels good to be part of a winning team."
Long's solid play on the field has led to recent offers from Arizona and Syracuse to go along with the one he already had from UCLA. He's also getting acquainted with several schools throughout the Southeast after taking unofficial visits to Vanderbilt, Alabama, Louisville, Tennessee, Western Kentucky and Duke.
"Duke was one school that stood out the most to me," he said of his trip for the Blue Devils game against Virginia earlier this fall. "My family and I really liked it and they made it feel like it was my home away from home - that by far was my favorite visit so far."
Living in Tennessee for the past six months Long said he's learned about Duke coach David Cutcliffe and his history coaching former Volunteers great Peyton Manning.
"I had heard of him and I knew he coached Eli Manning but I didn't know that he coached Peyton until I moved here," Long said.
With Cutcliffe out of the running for the head job in Knoxville after agreeing to a contract extension with Duke on Tuesday, Long said he'll be paying very close attention to who becomes Tennessee's next coach.
"I'm watching to see who they get next," Long said. "In my opinion it should be Willie Taggert, the coach at Western Kentucky. His offense would fit well with what Tennessee tries to do. I'm going to keep watching because it would be nice to go to school close to home."
After his high school season comes to a close Long said he's planning to attend the Army Underclassman Combine as well as take some more unofficial visits. Right now, the top school on his list that he hasn't seen is Oregon.
"The one school that really wants to get me out there is Oregon," Long said. "That's a school I really like. They want me to come and visit and spend some time because they don't want me to go all the way out there and just get a couple of hours with me."
With offers from two PAC-12 schools already and interest picking up from the Ducks, Long said he's already thought about going far from home for college and he's not concerned about moving if that's what it comes down to.
"It doesn't concern me at all," Long said. "It's not a big deal for me. I moved from Pennsylvania to Tennessee and I think doing it again would be an easy transition."