Purdue could be close with Tranquill

Fort Wayne (Ind.) Carroll three-star safety Drue Tranquill arrived on the college football recruiting scene late, but his recruitment is starting to gain steam and an offer from Purdue may be close at hand.

"I actually just got off the phone with Coach [Jafar] Williams," Tranquill reported. "They could actually offer this next week when Coach [Darrell] Hazell is evaluating films. They have gotten the okay from everyone but Coach Hazell, and he is the last one who has to see my film."

Tranquill has picked up offers already from Mid-American Conference schools Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo. He could be close to several more BCS offers, based on how he performs at one-day college camps this summer.

"I have a pretty good idea of the one-days I will be going to," Tranquill said. "I will probably be going down to Toledo on the 7th, Northwestern will be on the 10th, Purdue will be the 14th and then Notre Dame will be on the 21st.

"Michigan State actually has a 7-on-7 tournament. I was talking to Coach [Dave] Warner and they were just going to evaluate me at the 7-on-7 camp - test my 40 and stuff like that."

Tranquill also said Indiana and Wisconsin are potential camp destinations. His 7-on-7 team - AWP - just qualified for the IMG National Championships in Florida that are scheduled around the same time as the Notre Dame camp, but for now the three-star prospect hopes to attend both events. His contact with Irish assistant Mike Elston has picked up in recent weeks.

"He came in to the school and gave me his number, then we've talked three or four times since then," Tranquill said. "We've established some pretty good contact. He's been quite honest and open with me.

"They are thinking of me more as a Rover/outside linebacker. He said I am their sixth guy - there are five they have rated ahead of me. They are feeling out how those guys would go, but if I go to their camp I could easily change their mind. Notre Dame is a really good school, so that's good."

Tranquill really did not arrive on the college football recruiting scene until earlier this spring, in large part because he had been planning to pursue baseball after high school. In fact, Tranquill had originally planned to take part in tryouts for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox this summer, but now is focused on pursuing football in college.

"I'm pursuing football, but if baseball came up freshman year that would definitely be a thing that would have to work out for both the football and baseball coaches," Tranquill said. "But football is first, and then my degree. I think I want to do Engineering, and that is obviously a tough degree to get so I don't know if I would have time [for two sports]."

Tranquill is batting .450 on the diamond this spring, and does hold an offer from Western Michigan to pursue that sport in college.

The recruiting process also kicked off recently for Tranquill's young brother, class of 2015 defensive back Justin Tranquill, who added his first scholarship offer from Toledo last week.