Haman busy with official visits

Brock Haman kicked off his official visit schedule last weekend when he and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro teammate Cyrus Hobbi went to Oregon State. Haman got a good feel not only for the campus but also coach Mike Riley, who made a big impression on the three-star outside linebacker.

"We went to the practices, position meetings and team meetings," Haman said. "Not only that but we ate every hour pretty much, lots of food. Besides that we hung out with our hosts and we talked to the coaches a lot. We had a meeting with coach Riley so that was good.

"He's really calm and collected. It's rare to find in a head coach, he does a great job coaching and really takes time to think about things and the way he coaches. Sitting down and talking to him you get a great idea of where he's at and you get the feeling they really want you at Oregon State."

It's going to be a busy time for Haman, rated No. 14 in the Arizona state rankings by Rivals.com. Next up is a trip to Arkansas, which he saw during summer camp but is especially excited to see on game day. Haman arrives early Saturday morning and won't leave until Monday.

"I want to see the game day experience and how they go through a game day as a team and preparation for a game," Haman said.

"I won't get to see a lot of preparation because I'm getting there the same day as the game but the whole experience will be important to me because the first time I went out there I was going out for a camp and to perform and hopefully get an offer. Now I can sit back and observe. It will be nice."

Oregon State, Arkansas and Arizona make up Haman's top three - which is fluid - and the 6-foot-4, 235-pound prospect said he's planning to visit the Wildcats the weekend of Sept. 18 when Iowa visits Tucson.

"It's real nice because they're close but they're not right here and they're a pretty good team," Haman said. "Playing in the Pac-10 or the SEC is top notch. I like the coaching staff over there a lot and my chances of playing early are high. I have a good chance of competing for a job early on, which is nice to know."

UCLA has been making a serious push for Haman and although the Bruins haven't offered yet he's seriously considering an official visit. No date has been scheduled yet but UCLA is definitely making up ground in his recruitment. Arizona State remains in his top five as well.

"They're actually really picking it up," Haman said of the Bruins. "I'm supposed to call them really soon. I've been talking to them a lot lately. Those are my top three schools right now (Arizona, Arkansas and Oregon State) but it can definitely change. There are a lot of reasons why I'd like to go to UCLA."