Mobley wants to handle it well

Eden Prairie, Minn., defensive end Willie Mobley admits he could go one way with the recruiting process, or he could just as easily go the other way. That's what life is like when you're one of the nation's top 250 players and you have people from all over the country recruiting you.

Just when you think you're leaning one way, something else catches your eye and makes things more confusing than before.

"I could make up my mind and do it this summer, or I could do on national signing day, or if I get elected to the Army All-American Bowl I could do it then," Mobley, who is 6-foot-3 and 266 pounds, said. "I've got an offer from Hawaii. I could end up there, or I could end up being in Minnesota.

"Location doesn't matter at all. As you can tell, I'm really up in the air about all of this."

That's not such a bad thing, though.

After a junior season that saw him rack up 74 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks, Mobley is a wanted man. And while the recruiting attention is flattering, he's still not lost sight of what's most important – his senior season.

"Every year since I've played, we have had a guy with D-I talent because we are a pretty big powerhouse in Minnesota," Mobley said. "I just want to be that type of leader this year. I don't care if I get five sacks in one game or one tackle in a game. I just want everyone to be happy and play football. I want the younger guys to look up to me. I want everyone to look up to me."

That's why handling things both on and off the field is important to Mobley.

When it does come to recruiting, Mobley plans on making it to the Boulder NIKE Training Camp this upcoming Saturday. He's also up to around 15 offers with more and more schools showing him interest every day.

"I have like 15 offers now, but the top schools that have offered me recently are Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, UCLA is going to offer pretty soon after I go to their one day camp to meet everyone, and Arizona has offered," he said. "I can't name all of them right now.

"Michigan is pretty close to offering. Florida and I are on good terms, but they want me to come down there for a one day camp. Financially we can't just keep going place to place. I'm sure some schools will offer later on, but I'm not really worried about it. If they're interested, they're interested. If not, then God didn't plan it that way I guess."

Mobley said the attention is definitely flattering.

"It's kind of a compliment getting a look from big schools like but it won't make my decision," he said. "I see that a lot of guys go pro from those teams wherever you go you just have to work hard to be successful. So the bigger schools don't have much of an edge, but a little bit."

And in that group of bigger schools a few do seem like they would be good fits.

"Right now just in talking and me getting to know the coaches and players, it's UCLA, Iowa, Wisconsin, but I don't really have a lot that stand out," he said. "I really like all the teams equal right now."