Goolsby trudging through recruitment

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Deandre Goolsby is totally bogged down. He doesn't mince words about it. He hates the phone calls from reporters and the Facebook messages from college coaches. The Derby (Kan.) High School tight end excels at football, but recruiting is not his thing … at all.

In fact, he hates it.

"I can't wait for it to be over," Goolsby said on Sunday. "Actually, I can't even wait for this month to be over. It's reporters and coaches every day."

He keeps his head down and trudges forward. Goolsby, a four-star prospect and the No. 5 tight end in America, holds 11 scholarship offers. He has no immediate plans to trim his list of options but is planning another round of unofficial visits. First up? Ohio State, which is thought to be one of the frontrunners to land his commitment.

Goolsby also plans to check out Florida this summer, but he has yet to set a date for the trip. His travel plans are just now starting to take shape.

"I'm going to Ohio State in a couple of weeks, and I'll probably go down to Gainesville to visit Florida later in the month," Goolsby said. "I'm going to Arkansas. I'd like to get out to Oregon, too"

Relationships will be key when it comes to landing Goolsby's commitment. That, of course, isn't unique. Still, some coaches have fostered stronger ones than others. Asked which coach at a school he feels closest to, the 6-foot-4 prospect gives a simple answer.

"I'm really close with Coach [Michael Smith]at Arkansas," Goolsby said. "I've known him a while. Arkansas actually has a lot going for them right now -- rebuilding the facilities and stuff. I'm going to be going down there in July, so I'll get to check it out again."

As interested as Goolsby seems in Florida, Ohio State and Arkansas, though, he declines to name favorites. Some close to him believe the Buckeyes hold a slight edge, but you won't get the tight end himself to go on the record saying anything close to that.

"I haven't really picked a top five yet because I haven't really thought about it enough to count schools off of my list yet," he said.

Goolsby's father, Brian, played football at Kansas State, but the family tie to the in-state program is unlikely to have a significant effect on his recruitment.

"My dad is just letting me do this on my own. Pretty much, I just want a school where I feel like I'm in place. That's all he cares about. The coaching staff has to be built right."

As a junior at Derby, Goolsby helped lead a Panthers team that averaged 42 points per game and amassed a 10-2 record.

He has not set a timetable for a verbal commitment.

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