Louisiana DL adds Canes, Noles

One of Louisiana’s top prosepects has shifted a pair of new schools into his list of favorites.

Destrehan defensive tackle Darryl Richard says Miami and Florida State have turned up the recruiting heat and are now among his top choices.

“I’ve got seven schools I’m looking at right now that I want to get narrowed down to my five visits,” he said. “Those are LSU, Stanford, Miami, Florida State, Colorado, Notre Dame and Tulane. I’m pretty sure Miami, Stanford and Notre Dame will be in there. I’m just trying to decide who the other two will be.”

Richard (6-4, 285, 4.9) said the Hurricanes and Seminoles visited Destrehan in late May and have kept a steady flow of mail coming to his home. He says he’s received indications that they’ll join the other five schools on his list in making scholarship offers by the end of summer.

“I like Miami a lot,” he said. “That’s a very successful program. Just to get a call and visit from them is a big honor. You have great notoriety if you play there, a lot of exposure. Almost all of their D-Linemen end up going to the NFL, so that’s something I definitely look at.

“Florida State is a school I grew up watching. I always did like their teams. They get a lot of exposure there, too, just like Miami. They also have exactly what I’m looking for education-wise for a degree in sports management and sports administration. If I don’t have a career in the NFL, I’d like to be involved with the business end of sports in some way.”

UCLA had offered and been on his previous list of favorites, but the Bruins have been replaced by the Florida programs.

With prospective schools spanning from one coast to the other, Richard said playing near his Louisiana home won’t be a big factor in his final decision.

“I’m going to end up doing what the best thing is for me,” he said. “It won’t be the final determination in where I go, but it’s a plus for LSU. It just depends on how everything else compares.”

Don’t look for an early decision from Richard, who sounds determined to make all or most of his official visits before making a commitment.

As a junior, Richard recorded 65 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks to earn all-state honors. He’s also a standout in the classroom, maintaining a 4.6 weighted GPA and a 29 on the ACT.