Florida lineman down to five

Offensive lineman Paul Walsh from Tallahassee (Fla.) North Florida Christian said five schools are currently vying for his services. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle has four offers, including from three of his favorites, but plans to wait a little while before making his intentions known.

Walsh was unavailable most of the day Monday, but did receive a call from UCF. He was in the process of returning calls from numbers he found on his caller id late Monday night.

Right now he lists NC State, Florida, Florida State, UCF and Iowa State as his top five and says they all have one thing in common: he really likes their coaching staffs. What is about them individually, though, that make them stand out to him?

NC State: “That is my best offer, so far. I like Coach Amato a lot. I like the whole staff. I like the campus. The program is on the rise, and within the next five years, they should be a national championship contender.”

Florida: “I have always been a Gator fan. I like Coach Zook, and I love the staff. They were good through recruiting process. I like Gainesville, and really the whole setting. It is the best place to play in the nation.”

Florida State: “I live in Tallahassee, and I have always been intrigued by them. My family and friends want me to go there. The staff has been nice to me. Ernie Simms played with me last year and my good friend Antonio Cromartie goes there. Matt Heinz played with me, and I pattern myself after him. I have a lot of links there.”

UCF: “They were the first school to offer. They have new facilities that are some of the nicest in the country. They are on the rise, and I could almost step in my first year and get a lot of playing time.”

Iowa State: “The coaches came down, and I haven’t been up there, but I looked at media guide, and it looks like a cool place to play college football.”

Walsh camped at Florida this summer and said the Gators mentioned having him in for an official visit, but have yet to set a date. UCF is also currently in the process of selecting a date. So far he has offers from NC State, UCF, Iowa State, and East Carolina, and plans to commit in January after taking his visits.

Paul should have no problems qualifying academically, with a GPA just under a 3.0 and a 21 on ACT. He plans to major in either business or sports management.