Abercrumbia preparing to decide

Dallas (Texas) Skyline three-star defensive tackle Zach Abercrumbia currently holds offers from TCU, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Oregon State, Washington State, Texas State, and Navy, and is receiving significant interest from Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Princeton to name a few.

The recruiting process is heating up and Abercrumbia is busy taking trips, talking to coaches, and researching his college options. So far he has taken a few trips and each has left a strong impression on him.

There was the trip to Stillwater to check out the Oklahoma State program.

"Oklahoma State, it is a true college town," Abercrumbia said. "It is a college and everything around it has to do with the college. After we got done touring the facilities you could see the people flock to the stadium just to watch the practice. So the city is truly tied to the college and vice versa the college is tied to the community as well. It is a real home loving place and the facilities were great facilities as well."

There was the stop in Fort Worth to visit with Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs.

"TCU, TCU's facilities were great," Abercrumbia said. "I love their facilities. From the weight room to the practices fields they had. They showed me the indoor and the outdoor facilities. TCU, also on that trip I got to talk to the coaches one-on-one. A real personal type feel. It felt like they really cared for me, cared about seeing me do well not only in football but I asked for information on their business school and they had that. They seemed like they wanted to see me do well in life after football, so that's something I really liked about them."

Then there was his trip to Lubbock to see the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

"Tech, it was just amazing," he said. "There was a small number of us, so that made it a real personal interaction with your coach. We went in the film room and we just sat with our coaches and they had a packet for each of the boys. You'd just kind of flip through and it would tell you you'd be an All-American, you'd be an NFL guy. It was a nice thing. The coaches were real personal. They weren't standoffish. They would come by and greet and talk. We talked for a long time actually when I first got there.

"I feel like they want me to do as well as I possibly can and they didn't put any pressure on me. That was one thing I really liked as well. They said this is what we have to offer and we know this is an important decision. Take your time and think it over with your family. I didn't get my dad up there on that trip but they said bring him back. We're not trying to rush you to make a decision without your whole family involved, but bring them back and see if we can't get something worked out. They've continued contact with me. It hasn't fallen off or anything."

Abercrumbia has not discounted the possibility of taking more visits but he does plan to make a decision in the very near future.

"I want to definitely have my choices ready by the time spring ends, and before we start hitting it and working out in the summer I want to have made my commitment and let the coaches know I'm committed 100-percent to whatever school I choose," Abercrumbia said.

He is not ready to declare a leader but he does have three schools at the top of his list right now.

"Yeah, I have a few standouts," Abercrumbia said. "One, TCU. I likt that program. Not only where the football program is headed but where their academics are ranked in the country. Wake Forest, their academics speak for themselves. They're also in the ACC. Texas Tech, I really love the coaching staff up there. The energy they bring, it felt like home, and Lubbock is a college town. Oregon State and Washington State I've done a little research on them but I'd probably have to do a little more before I could truly tell you whether they are a true standout. "

Abercrumbia also has a few important factors he is looking for in his future choice.

"One, I want to go somewhere that has Kinesiology or business because I want to own my own business and I want to own my own personal training business," Abercrumbia said. "So any school that has one of those two schools that's pretty high in the country that could be something that moves them to the top. As well as a program that looks like it's going in a good direction. A program where I could see the coach being there for a long time. A program where I feel like I have an opportunity to make an impact as soon as possible. Maybe not start but even if it's just an impact in practice but somewhere I can have an impact and not just be looked over because I'm a freshman. And somewhere where it feels at home. Somewhere where it feels good. The atmosphere I could see myself in on their campus for four or five years."