Junior RB closing in on more offers

Even though Bear (Del.) Red Lion Christian Academy had a challenging season, running back Wendell Smallwood is keeping his head up and his eyes on the future.

"I think this season turned out great. We played in some nice places and I like traveling around the country," he said. "We could have done better as far as our record goes (5-5) but we had one of the toughest schedules in the nation."

Going into the off-season, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound running back is working on improving certain parts of his game.

"I'm trying to put on weight through working out and without getting slower."

Smallwood is getting a lot of attention from across the country.

"I have offers from Auburn and Temple and have serious interest from Southern Cal, UCLA, Maryland, Connecticut, Stanford, Penn State, Rutgers, North Carolina State, and Oregon," said Smallwood, who received his most recent offer from Auburn after the coaching staff saw him play in person down in Florida.

Smallwood doesn't have a list of favorites yet, but some schools stick out in his mind more than others.

"I've been paying a lot of attention to Oregon, USC, North Carolina State, Stanford, Alabama, and Auburn," said Smallwood. "I think Auburn is a great school and the talent they have coming in is sick. I would guess that they're going to come out of this year with a lot of top recruits. I haven't gone for a visit yet, but I would love to take one."

Auburn defensive lineman Angelo Blackson played with Smallwood at Red Lion Christian Academy. This could give Auburn an advantage when it comes to landing Smallwood.

"Angelo playing there is a plus for Auburn because he's one of the leaders I look up to, but at the end of the day I need to make the best decision for me," said Smallwood.

When deciding which school to attend, Smallwood and his parents take many factors into consideration and are also keeping an open mind.

"They want me to go to a school with a coach that's going to care of me as much as them and a school that's going to keep me on top of my academics," he said. "I like Temple's coach. USC was great all-around too. They're one of my top schools. I'm in contact with the Connecticut staff a lot. The campus and facilities at Rutgers are amazing, and I'm in touch with their coaches a lot. I liked the campus and academics at UCLA, but I want to see how things turn out with their new coaching staff."