Four-star inside linebacker Joel Dublanko took some trips to schools in the Pacific Northwest this fall, and the No. 3-rated prospect in the state of Washington appears ready to expand his horizons.

Dublanko, a 2016 Rivals250 prospect, said he would love to make a swing through Big Ten country at some point next year to gather as much information as possible heading into his senior season.

"The Big Ten definitely interests me," he said. "That's a good style of football for the type of linebacker I am. They are physical out there."

Dublanko has received interest from most of the Pac-12, and he took in a few conference games this fall.

"Washington had a great atmosphere and they are young with a good coach," Dublanko said. "I also saw a game at Oregon and they blew out nearly everyone this year. I went to Stanford for the Utah game, and I spoke with some of the coaches there afterward. They lost that one even though they played hard. One of the coaches told me it's not about playing hard, but playing smart. Sure enough they came back the next week and beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl."

Dublanko holds a handful of offers, including Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Washington State, and is excited to continue the recruiting process in order to gain more national attention. He said Tennessee, Washington State, UCLA and Stanford are recruiting him the hardest.

"When I have everything figured out in terms of offers and interest, I could make a decision. Really, it could come when I feel it's the right time," Dublanko said. "Right now, I don't even have a top five. When I have all the opportunities on the table, I'll be closer to making my decision."

The 6-foot-3, 228-pound Dublanko said he set a school record with 112 total tackles in nine games this past season at Aberdeen (Wash.).