Blank up to three offers

It is basketball season in the state of Indiana, and Terre Haute (Ind.) North Vigo's Calvin Blank is making noise on the hardcourt. But at the same time the 6-4, 226-pound tight end prospect is also juggling an escalating football recruitment.

"Northern Illinois offered me a scholarship last week," Blank reported. "I am actually coming back from a visit right now from there. I got to see all the facilities, got to see some of the stuff they do offensively and I talked to the coach for a long time.

The 6-4, 226-pound Blank could project at tight end or defensive end at the college level, but most teams see him at the tight end position.

"They like my basketball skills and think that translates better over to the offensive side of the ball," Blank said. "I'd say I have a higher ceiling at tight end, but I'm okay if the coach wants to play me on the defensive line… whatever is going to help the team."

Blank is a standout on the basketball floor as well. He is averaging 13 points and six rebounds a game on the court this winter, and led his team to a sectional championship Saturday night by pouring in 21 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.

The commitments to basketball have made it difficult for Blank to make it to junior days the last couple months, but he is starting to get his scheduled organized for spring practice visits.

"Once basketball is over I am probably going to get down to Indiana a few times, get down to Vanderbilt and probably go over to Wisconsin," Blank said.

Prior to the Northern Illinois offer, Blank held offer from Toledo and Indiana State. Several BCS programs are starting to pick up their interest as well. Blank specifically mentioned Indiana, Northwestern and Vanderbilt as teams he is in contact with.

"[Indiana] Coach [Seth] Littrell, I have mostly been talking to him and Coach [Mark] Hagen a little bit," Blank said. "We have just been developing a relationship since he's been hired. They've got my film and just want to get me down on a visit sometime.

"I got a handwritten letter from [Vanderbilt] a month ago to call one of the coaches, and I did. I have been talking to the tight ends coach, Coach [Charles] Bankins, for about three months now. They saw my video and said he liked it, wanted my transcripts and wants me to come down for a spring practice."

Blank is coming off a junior season in which he recorded 30 receptions for 348 yards and three touchdowns from the tight end position.