Four emerge for Pagano
Scott Pagano will continue to consider all the programs that have offered him but the Honolulu (Hawaii) Moanalua defensive tackle said LSU, Baylor, Clemson and Nebraska have emerged as four frontrunners.
"Those are just the four I like so far," Pagano said. "It's not a final four. Those are the four that are showing a lot of good interest in me."
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Pagano, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound prospect who has nearly 40 offers, said he has a strong relationship with LSU coach Les Miles and he's definitely intrigued by the Tigers' success.
With Clemson, Pagano has had a lot of family members attend that school plus he has a good bond with that staff.
"I like LSU a lot because I have a good connection with coach Miles and he said I'm a big playmaker and if I went there I could possibly start as a true freshman," Pagano said.
"Clemson is a family thing. A lot of my family went there so there's a strong connection over there. They also have what I want to study."
The Moanalua standout likes Nebraska especially because of the coaching staff and Baylor is seriously in the mix because the Bears play in the Big 12 and Pagano has gotten to know assistant coach Brian Norwood well.
"Coach (Rich) Fisher, coach (John) Papuchis, coach Rick (Kaczenski) and I have a strong connection," Pagano said of the Nebraska staff. "We talk every week about football or school or family and other things. I could see myself playing over there.
"Baylor is in the Big 12 and that's one of the top teams I like in that conference. It's a powerhouse conference. Coach Norwood and I have a really good relationship and he came out here (Tuesday) and we talked for a long time and he got to see me run and he was very, very impressed."
Pagano made other news earlier Wednesday when he said Oregon is no longer on his top 10 list. The Ducks are not out but definitely have some room to make up in his recruitment.
"I've been coming to realize I can't see myself playing for them with their defense," Pagano said. "They're known for their offense, not that I want to disrespect their defense."