Colorado lineman has two favorites
Eight schools have offered Parker (Colo.) Chaparral offensive lineman Brendon Austin but the 6-foot-5, 263-pound prospect has two favorites and he plans to visit both in the coming weeks.
Austin will visit Stanford this weekend and then will go to Notre Dame the weekend of March 20. Those two programs stand out the most but Austin also said Colorado and Colorado State are tied for third place and that he has a "soft spot" for the hometown teams.
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"Academically, Stanford is really sound," Austin said. "You don't have to say a lot there. They also have an amazing coaching staff, just tons of NFL experience and then the o-line coaches (Tim Drevno and Greg Roman) they are great guys and really know their stuff.
"I'm really looking forward to continuing to talk to them and seeing what those guys are like during the football season."
One of the big reasons Austin is so excited about his trip to Notre Dame is because he wants to meet new offensive line coach Ed Warinner and get introduced to coach Brian Kelly's entire staff.
His relationship with the coaches and his feel for how things are going in South Bend could play a big factor in his decision-making process.
"It's really important to get acquainted with the o-line coach there," Austin said. "It's a plus because I was raised Catholic so that's a big plus there, too."
Arizona, California, Kansas State and Utah have also offered but in-state programs Colorado and Colorado State are tied for third place on Austin's list.
Since he's been to those two campuses most often and is familiar with the coaching staffs, both teams will stay close to the top.
"I have a little soft spot for them just being hometown," Austin said. "I've visited them the most so far during the recruiting process just because I'm right there."
Southern Cal and Oregon have also recently inquired about Austin but neither Pac-10 powerhouse has offered yet. It still appears to be in the early stages of the recruiting process with the Trojans and Ducks.
Austin, who also lists interest from Arkansas and Kansas, said after his trips to Stanford and Notre Dame he will narrow down his choices sometime before his summer schedule gets too busy.