Latu has two Pac-10 teams tied
Oregon and Arizona State are tied as the favorite for Mo Latu, who has already visited with the Sun Devils this fall and is scheduling a trip to see the Ducks probably sometime in December.
The visit to Eugene could mean a lot to Latu, a four-star prospect from Perry (Ariz.) Gilbert, because the Oregon coaching staff has done a fantastic job recruiting him this season and making him feel wanted.
Advertisement
Even though he hasn't visited yet the Ducks have steadily moved up Latu's list and are now tied with Arizona State for the lead.
"Just pretty much watching how they play on TV really stands out," Latu said. "Talking to their defensive line coach (Jerry Azzinaro) is great because he's a really cool guy.
"He has a good mentality on how they run their program and their defensive line. Just seeing how Chip Kelly wants me to play for them and how they're sending weekly motivational cards. Showing how much they're interested in me stands out."
Latu's visit to Arizona State in late September went well and the Sun Devils will be tough to beat because they've been around for such a long time. Others are making a strong push for Latu but Arizona State has made a good impression throughout his recruitment.
"I enjoyed the visit," Latu said. "It was pretty cool just to be on the field. It was my first time being at the stadium on the field. It was nice to meet their academic advisors and counselors and get a better look at the school.
"Meeting the players and the coaches was the best part. I knew a few of them from church functions and I talked to coach (Dennis) Erickson and all the other coaches. It was nice to see how they prepare for games."
Arizona State and Oregon are tied for No. 1 on Latu's list but others still have a chance including Missouri and USC.
Latu said he's still trying to schedule something for Missouri and that the Trojans have recently stepped up their interest in a big way. Fresno State is also trying to get Latu to schedule an official visit.
"They've been sending me weekly mail," Latu said of USC "I talked to (linebackers coach) Joe Barry and he wants me to come out and check out the campus and the program itself. We're going to have to work out something.
"It's USC so it's a big eye-opener once I found out they were recruiting me."
Latu said Oregon and Arizona State like him at defensive tackle. USC, Missouri and Fresno State want him to play on the offensive line.