Hoosiers join race for Durkin

Few can boast a week as impressive as Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline junior quarterback Chris Durkin.

The week started last Thursday when the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Durkin reeled in an offer from Michigan State. Northwestern came through with their offer two days later, then on Wednesday Indiana joined the race.

"Coach [Deland] McCullough, I called him and he was excited to offer me finally," Durkin said. "Every single time he has been in the school since last year he has wanted to offer me. He finally got the okay to pull the trigger and was very excited about it."

The interest in Durkin from Indiana goes back several months, and during that time the Ohio passer has been able to develop a close relationship with McCullough.

"He is a great guy, hilarious," Durkin said. "He has been around a long time, talking with me and he has not only built a great relationship with me, but with my dad and my coach, especially. Whenever he pops in they sit down for 45 minutes."

Durkin will look to make a visit to Indiana in the near future. He is already in the process of setting visits with Michigan State and Northwestern.

"I will be up at Michigan State with my coach's son," Durkin said. "It's either going to be this week or next week. I was up there for the Ohio State game and that was a great experience.

"We are going to fly to Chicago to visit Northwestern some more. I am going to stay the night there with the players in the dorms so they can get to know me. Coach Fitz, when they offered, said they like to have [recruits] come up and spend a night with the players and get a second view on who I am as a person."

Durkin also plans to make a return visit to Toledo for a spring practice. The Rockets were one of his earlier offers, and teams that have offered are receiving the bulk of his attention now.

"I really just want to focus on the schools that have offered and have been there for me since the beginning," Durkin said. "During the spring I want to get down to see the schools that have offered."

Following the spring visits, Durkin will start to transition into the final phase of his recruitment so he can be prepared to handle his responsibilities as a senior team leader next fall.

"I want to make a decision at the end of spring or right before the season," Durkin said. "It's my senior season and I don't get to relive this again. We fell short last year in the playoffs and I want State this year."

Sandwiched in between his three offers this week, Durkin also made his way down to Cincinnati on Saturday to partake in the Core 6 Showcase, where he was one of the top two quarterback performers at the event.