Hoover still favors in-state schools

Novi, Mich., defensive end Tyler Hoover is one of the top players in the Detroit area and in the entire state of Michigan.

The 6-foot-7, 244-pound weakside defensive end was recently named one of the top 10 players in Detroit by Rivals.com and from the attention he's getting he definitely deserves to be talked about when discussing the nation's best at his position.

Hoover isn't happy with staying where he's at now, though. He wants to get better and improve on his junior season that saw him rack up 87 tackles, six tackles for a loss, six pass breakups and three sacks.

"Lately I've just been training with a speed trainer and an old NFL defensive lineman," he said. "I'm just working on my speed and getting better. I want to get to the playoffs as a team and the team has been working hard so I think we can do it."

To help better focus on his senior season, Hoover said he's thinking hard about trying to get a decision out of the way early. He just recently returned from an unofficial visit to Michigan State and with offers from Duke, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue, Vanderbilt and several others it still looks like an in-state battle for him.

"I've been hearing a lot from Miami, Iowa and Western Michigan," he said. "But my top teams are Michigan and Michigan State. Location is not really going to play a big factor. Those are just the two schools I like the most. I think I want to make my decision before my senior season starts."

And both schools definitely have their positives.

"At Michigan State, I really like the new coaching staff," he said. "I think they're really going to turn around Michigan State. Also I feel like I have a really good chance of playing soon at defensive end."

What about the Wolverines?

"It's just a top school," he said. "You can get a great education there, and they are a great football team."