Jersey DT undecided; looking South

One of the nation’s top defensive tackles still on the board may delay his final decision past signing day.

“As of right now, I don’t have any idea where I want to go,” said three-star Camden (N.J.) prospect Shukree Barfield. “So I’m not going to sign with anyone (on Wednesday). I’m going to take my time and make sure I make the right decision.”

Barfield (6-4, 290, 4.9) is looking at home state Rutgers and three Southern schools – Miami, Clemson and Kentucky – as his semifinalists. He made official visits with the Scarlet Knights, Hurricanes and Wildcats.

“They’ve all got some good things about them,” he said. “With Miami, that’s a national power, you know. I’ve always dreamed about playing for somebody like that, being in the spotlight and playing for championships. Also, I like the idea of getting away from home and experiencing something new. Coach Coker seems like a great guys, and they do a good job of putting a lot of players in the league.

“With Clemson, it’s mainly the coaches that have me interested. I’ve never been there, so I can’t tell you all that much about it. But the coaches are cool. They’ve stayed on me real hard and shown me that they really want me. They feel like they’re bringing in a great class, and they still want me to be part of it.

“With Kentucky, my good friend (and Camden teammate) Shomari Moore is going down there. We’re like brothers, so it would be cool to play with him and be roommates at Kentucky. He’s trying real hard to get me to go down there, and I did like it when I was there for my visit. It’s a nice place.

“Rutgers is right here close to home, and even though I’ve wanted to go away for school, it would be nice for my family to be able to come and see me all the time. They’ve also made me feel like I’m important to their program, that they need more players like like me to take the next step.”

Barfield had 60 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six sacks, and two interceptions (one returned for a TD) as a senior. He is rated the No. 54 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com.