Crist closing in on decision

With offers from schools all over the country, much was expected of Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist at the SoCal NIKE Camp and he delivered. Crist walked away with Camp MVP honors at the QB position and talked to us following the event about his performance, his final five schools and when he'll be making his college choice.

Although he admittedly had to work off some rust, Crist still had a very good camp and showed why he should be mentioned among the top quarterbacks in the nation. He measured in at 6-5, 228 pounds and has a college frame right now.

What is most exciting about Crist is the athletic ability he has for a big quarterback. The signal caller can run as well as he can pass and runs on the Knights track team.

"I haven't had a chance to do a lot of throwing because of track and all the unofficial visits I've taken," Crist said. "Still I thought I did all right today. You're never perfect and you never throw the ball as well as you like but I'm just going to keep working hard and try and get better."

On the recruiting front, Crist just returned from an unofficial visit to Notre Dame and it was a trip that he said was much better than he expected.

"It was a great trip, I really enjoyed myself," Crist said. "I really enjoyed getting to know Coach Weis. He has had great success producing quality quarterbacks and I enjoyed not just getting to know him but the whole staff there as well.

"I watched the team practice and saw how hands on the staff is there. It was just a great experience for me and it's going to make my decision that much tougher."

In addition to the Irish, Crist said he's also considering USC, LSU, Michigan and Stanford and talked a little about what he likes about each program.

"With Michigan, they have produced a ton of quarterbacks who have went on to the pros. Every year, they have a strong program and put out great teams every year. They're also strong academically and have a lot of prestige.

"With Stanford, academically, that's as good as you're going to get. They have a brand new program with new coaches and it would be kind of exciting to help bring up a team and make them a contender.

"LSU is a big time program and their coaching staff was great on my visit. The facilities are unbelievable, and I like their style of play. They really compete hard and get after it and are in the national championship picture every year.

"USC is close to home, they get after it and are very competitive. Their coaching staff is really intense, I like their academics a lot and like LSU, they're competing for national championships every year now.

"Staying local or leaving home won't be a factor for me. At first I thought it would be but after taking these trips, I'm very comfortable with all the schools and if I feel the school is the best fit for me, I'll go anywhere.

"As for making my decision, I'm real close. I just want to meet with my coach, Kevin Rooney, and then I should be ready to make my decision within the next two weeks."