Carlisle picks up another big offer

Amir Carlisle is still committed to Stanford but the four-star running back from Sunnyvale (Calif.) King's Academy just picked up another big offer and now is planning another visit before National Signing Day.

Notre Dame offered Carlisle this week and that's a major one because the 5-foot-10, 181-pound prospect camped in South Bend this summer and likes what the coaching staff is telling him about where he can be used on offense. A trip to Notre Dame has not been scheduled but is in the works.

"Coach said I was the type of guy where they'd like to see me in the backfield and also see me out at wide receiver, the kind of guy who could get 20-25 touches per game but it's not strictly wide receiver, not strictly running back but a combination of both," Carlisle said.

"It's very exciting. It's an honor they offered me and I'm really, really excited about it. I talked to the coach (Tuesday) about that and we're trying to set up a visit date but nothing has been scheduled yet."

Carlisle has made it no secret throughout his recruitment that he will explore other options. He has already visited USC this season and is considering trips to Cal and Maryland as well.

"That visit went great," Carlisle said of USC. "I got to learn about USC, both the athletic and academic side. It was a great experience overall."

Maryland seems like an obscure school but Carlisle's father, Duane, ran track there and is now the head strength and conditioning coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Keeping an open mind and visiting with the Terrapins could be in the cards.

"I'm just going into the situation with an open mind," Carlisle said. "I was around the school as a young kid so I'm pretty familiar with it. I want to see how the program is. I don't know much about the football program so I'm just going in there and learning about the football program and the school itself."

Rivals.com rates Carlisle No. 11 at running back, No. 99 nationally and No. 16 in the California state rankings.

He committed to the Cardinal in June 2009 and has said all along that he will consider other programs and take visits. He's still in the same mindset after picking up the Notre Dame offer.

"I'm still committed to Stanford but I'm going out to test other options to see what the other schools have to offer," he said.