McCaffrey slowly narrowing focus
It's not a verbal commitment. It's not even a top-five list. It's barely a blip of the news radar. But coming from the mouth of Rivals100 running back Christian McCaffrey, it's something.
McCaffrey, a junior at Colorado's Valor Christian High School, guards his thoughts on the recruiting process as if they're members of the British Royal Family. So when he starts talking favorites, it means something regardless of how specific he gets.
Advertisement
"I'd say my favorites are the schools I'm going to visit," McCaffrey said on Monday.
The list of campuses he plans to tour isn't short or concise. It spans time zones and conferences. But, again, it's something. For the four-star prospect, the very concept of separation between suitors is new.
This pool of "favorites" is deep. McCaffrey plans to head west during his spring break next week to check out Stanford, Washington, Oregon, UCLA and possibly Arizona State. But that's just the first leg of the tour.
"I'll visit Nebraska sometime," he said. "I'm going to visit Duke and Vanderbilt. I've already visited Alabama, so I don't know if I'll go back there. Then, maybe Tennessee.
"The schools that I'm gonna head out and visit are the ones I'm putting above the others. If Florida and Florida State offer, I'll visit them, too."
The No. 195 prospect in the 2014 class, McCaffrey also plans to check out Wisconsin, which offered him a scholarship on Monday afternoon and immediately staked claim to a place among the frontrunners to land his commitment.
McCaffrey had a soft spot for the Badgers long before he had an offer from the program, so his reaction was predictable when things became official.
"I watched Montee Ball play a whole lot and I know Wisconsin has an incredible history at ruining back," McCaffrey said. "It's an honor for them to offer me at running back. I'm definitely excited to continue this process with them. They love running the ball, which is definitely a positive."
Of course McCaffrey's thoughts on the process are fluid. They'll remain that way until he pulls the trigger on a verbal commitment. Offers are still coming in and coaches are still evaluating. There's no telling when a new opportunity could shake things up.
"Notre Dame is going to come out and watch me in spring ball to see if they want to offer," McCaffrey said. "I've been staying in touch with Alabama, too. And Tennessee.
As a junior at Valor Christian, McCaffrey ran for 1,390 yards, caught 55 passes and scored 41 total touchdowns. He is the son of multiple-time Pro Bowl selection Ed McCaffrey.