Lukusa has endgame planned

Traverse City (Mich.) West 2016 offensive tackle Thiyo Lukusa almost ended his recruitment during his sophomore year, but he is confident a decision will come in the next few months.

"I am going to probably name a top five by November,"Lukusa said. "Then, I'll probably commit in December. That depends on a couple things. I don't know if there is going to be coaching changes coming up in programs around the country, so I'll just have to see how that goes. That probably won't matter too much.

"I just want to be a high-schooler again. I want to early enroll too, so waiting until my senior year isn't going to be an option for me. Plus, it will be nice to know where I am going, get some gear and start repping that school. I'll be an active recruiter."

Seven Power Five Conference schools have already offered Lukusa, with Nebraska being the most recent to join the list.

"I don't remember the last time they had a season under nine wins," Lukusa said. "They are just a good program, and I am a fan of Ameer Abdullah. Then, my team's defense is called the 'Blackshirts.' I like Nebraska and they are definitely in the mix now."

Assistant coach Rick Kaczenski is Lukusa's primary recruiter at Nebraska, and he has received strong feedback from their staff.

"I like Coach Kaz a lot," Lukusa said. "They were surprised with how lean I looked at 300 pounds. Then they talked about my feet in pass-pro and my tenacity in down-blocking. They said a lot of times you get a guy who can pass pro but doesn't have the mean streak in the run game, or vice versa."

With his decision just months away, Lukusa expects to pick up the pace on college visits. He is looking to attend Michigan's home contest this upcoming weekend, followed by trips to Michigan State on Oct. 4 and Oct. 25. He also plans to attend Ohio State's Nov. 29 home game.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Lukusa is playing left tackle for a Traverse City West team that is 1-3 on the season. Lukusa is ranked as the No. 28 offensive tackle prospect in the 2016 class.