Interest picking up for Kaufman

Newton, Kan., two-star defensive end Evan Kaufman is having a tremendous season both on and off the field.

Kaufman a senior at Newton High School still holds a lone offer from West Point Academy.

"I have been talking to West Point, Kansas, Penn University, and Dartmouth," said Kaufman. He also added that Southern Illinois and BYU are still in the mix.

"I want to take a visit to West Point but not until after the season is over," said Kaufman. "I'm just out to have fun this year and fun with the season".

Kaufman is a little different than any other recruit as well. He owns his own company.

Kaufman will be taking his landscape business known as Grassmasters, LLC. to New York City where he will compete in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition. This comes after winning the Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas (YEK) Business Plan competition and an all expenses paid trip to the Big Apple.

"My company won the competition out of a field of about three to four hundred people," said Kaufman.

While on the field Kaufman has been having a terrific season as well. Recording 10 solo tackles, 9 assisted tackles, and 5.5 sacks so far through three games.

Kaufman has helped his team off to a 3-0 start as they head into a showdown against their rival McPherson this week.

"We currently are ranked 6th in the state and they are ranked 4th so its going to be a really good game," said Kaufman. "This year it just seems a little different. We're able to throw the ball and run the ball, pretty well. I'm really feeling good about this year."

So what will give in making Kaufman's decision?

"I basically tell all the coaches that I talk to I'm looking for a school that has a solid business program. I really want to focus on a school with a solid business school entrepreneurship."

Some odds might point to Kaufman heading East to the Ivy League and that would be fine for the 6'4", 250-pound defensive end.

"My biggest thing for the Ivy League schools is that they told me I need to raise my ACT scores a little bit," said Kaufman who plans on taking the ACT again on Nov. 25th.