Parris curent favorites are subject to change
Both Oklahoma and Wisconsin have reached out to Damien Parris' junior college coach. Each has contacted Parris himself via email. The Contra Costa (Calif.) Community College tackle makes that known up front. It's the first thing he says when asked about his recruitment.
Will it turn into anything? He has no clue. He just wants it out there.
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But Parris is sitting around pining over the Sooners and Badgers. He carries seven real scholarship offers and is concerning himself with those for the time being. If things with the new popular kids on his recruiting block heat up, that's great. If not, He'll live.
"A lot of new schools have been calling me and talking to my coach," Parris said. "No new offers yet, so we'll see what happens. They want to see me play some more.
"I might have to start the recruiting process over if Oklahoma and Wisconsin offer."
Until then, though, he's playing his current hand. And the three-star prospect is playing it aggressively. He knows what he wants and he knows what schools he'd like to see. All that's left to do is find time to set visits.
"I really want to check out Kansas," Parris said. "I'm really interested in Kansas and Arizona State."
Why the Jayhawks and Sun Devils? Parris says that's simple.
"Kansas coaches just have the resumes," he said. "Charlie Weis being the head coach, he coached in the league. The line coach, Tim Grunhard, played in the NFL for 10 years. He has that experience. They just have the resumes there at Kansas.
"With Arizona State, I've liked them for a long time. My high school coach was coached by (Sun Devils assistant Chris Ball). Plus, they are on the up-rise with the new coach."
The door remains open for another school to get involved with the current frontrunners. Neither Arizona State nor Kansas have a home game that aligns with Contra Costa's bye week, leaving Parris to explore other options.
"I just have to talk to my coach about that and try to find a school I can visit that weekend," he said. "I'd like to check out San Diego State so I can see how it is as a school and how it would be for a player."
Parris has already burned his redshirt season because of an injury. He will have two years to play two seasons wherever he lands.