Devlin picking up more offers

Pat Devlin of Exton (Pa.) Downington East came out of the Elite College Combine as the top quarterback as voted by the position coaches. What did the 6-foot-3, 194-pounder think of the experience, what new schools have offered and who are the serious players in his recruitment?

"It was fun, I got to meet a bunch of guys in my recruiting class and get to know them a little bit," he said. "I thought I did alright, my footwork was there, but my arm strength is not there like during the season. I felt my footwork was very good though. The drills weren't too good for me, it's hard throwing to wide receivers you've never thrown to before because they are running different routes and such."

What did Devlin think of the one-on-one drills?

"It was a little crowded, there were a lot of guys and it was a lot of fun," he said. "I don't know who I worked against, but I don't think I did that great. Nothing was wrong for me, I think it was all about timing and I wasn't sure quite where they were cutting, it's hard to gauge."

Even though he's one of the top quarterback prospects in 2006, what did Devlin show scouts at the combine?

"I think I showed them that I can move around," he said. "I thought my times were ok, I don't remember anyone there who had there best times, but I feel I showed good mobility and footwork."

Most recently Devlin has picked up three new offers in the last couple of weeks. He got offers from Toledo, Oregon and Purdue.

"I got a couple letters from Toledo and that was a surprise for me and it came out of the blue. Oregon was much of the same thing, I got like two to three letters and then they offered, so it was a surprise," he said. "Coach Bennett from Purdue came down and talked to my coaches for awhile and he told them he liked what he saw and offered, so it wasn't nearly as surprising."

Now Devlin has 20 offers including ones from Miami, Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Virginia Penn State and Pittsburgh among others. Does the quarterback have any favorites?

"Right now I'm wide open. I don't have anybody taken off the list or up high," he said. "The first thing I'm looking for out of a school is good academics because I know everyone isn't going to the NFL. I want to get to know the coaches and have a good relationship with the quarterback coach there. I also want a good campus and a beautiful place to be for the next four or five years."

Besides getting offers, Devlin has received a lot of visits because of the evaluation period.

"Ole Miss, Illinois, Florida, Purdue, Northwester and Penn State along with a bunch of others stopped by," he said. "I got calls from Syracuse, Michigan, Ole Miss, Northwestern, Major Applewhite from Illinois, Florida, Miami and Mike Groh from Virginia. They all just ask how everything is going and what I'm doing."

Devlin is planning to take a few more visits in the next few weeks as well.

"I'm headed to Michigan and then I'm going to Miami and Florida in early June," he said. "I just want to see the campuses and get to meet the coaches. I want to see the facilities and work out for them a little if they need me to."

As far as a decision on his commitment, Devlin thinks his mind will be made up by the start of the season.

"I think it'll be before the season starts," he said. "Nothing is final, but I think by the end of summer everything will be figured out. I'll be able to see all the places I want to see and by then I'll make a good decision."

Devlin is also preparing himself for next year.

"Right now the team is lifting and running Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and I'm just trying to get bigger and stronger in the weight room," he said. "During my free period at school, I'm talking to our coaches about football and working on reading defenses because that's a whole new thing in college. I also am working on improving my arm strength and just trying to learn more about the game of football."

Devlin was named first team AAAA all-state by the AP and third team by Pennsylvania Football News as he threw for 2,237 yards and 21 touchdowns.