Oliver names favorites, prepares to set out on visits

ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Braelen Oliver’s list of favorite schools isn’t long, fully formed or set in stone. According to the Georgia-based linebacker, it’s simply a jumping off point. Buy, hey, it’s something. And, whatever it is, Oliver doesn’t mind sharing it.

“My top is Iowa State, Colorado, Wake Forest and, right now, North Carolina State,” he said on Sunday.

A three-star prospect, Oliver is yet to visit any school in his current top four but plans to do so this offseason or during the fall. He’s in no rush to single out any school in the lot, but says every member of the group shares certain traits.

“Those are my biggest offers, but they have also built the best relationship with me,” Oliver said. “They text me the most. I talk to some of them every single day.”

Oliver says he’s looking forward to a possible visit to Iowa State because of the relationship he’s built with the Cyclone coaches, but also because of how he landed his scholarship offer. This was a case of a prospect, not a coaching staff, pushing the issue.

“I actually reached out to Iowa State to try to get offered,” Oliver said. “I was like, ‘why not shoot my shot?’ I sent my hudl film and they offered. I guess I shot the shot, and I got it. It went in.”

Oliver is hoping to land offers from Auburn, Arizona, Georgia and Georgia Tech this spring. He says each of those programs has been in contact but things are escalating toward scholarship offers slowly. Auburn is the offer he covets most but ventures no guess about how likely he is to land an opportunity from the Tigers.

RIVALS REACTION: This is too fluid a situation to venture any sort of guess on a commitment. Oliver is yet to visit the schools he favors and may be in for more offers in the coming months. So much will depend on his upcoming visits and what catches his eye in person.