Rivals250 DE Rylie Mills close to shortening his list
CHICAGO – Rivals250 Chicagoland defensive lineman Rylie Mills has accumulated more than two dozen scholarship offers. He has a long term game plan for deciding on his college direction, and could start implementing that shortly.
“Right now I am starting to narrow down my list and over the next couple weeks I am just going to continue doing the same thing until I find five or six or seven,” Mills said. “I’ve visited a lot of schools over the past two years, so right now I have a really good idea of what I like in different schools and what I am looking for. I am just trying to assess from there.”
There are no immediate plans for visits in the near future. Mills made game visits to Notre Dame and Ohio State this past fall. The most recent was the Ohio State game visit on Oct. 13. The Buckeyes have gone through a coaching change since that trip, but that has not drastically affected Mills’ interest in the program.
“Visit-wise I had a great time,” Mills said. “They were awesome to me and to my family. The game was a great experience.
“Going From coach (Urban) Meyer to coach (Ryan) Day, I know coach Meyer is still going to be around. I talked to coach Day a couple times. I feel like we hit it off and he’s a great guy, so I feel like the transition is not going to be too crazy since he is a guy from (the previous staff).”
Ohio State projects Mills as a versatile defensive linemen in their defense who can man both the three-technique defensive tackle and five-technique defensive end spots. New defensive coordinator Greg Mattison was Mills’ recruiter at Michigan when the Wolverines offered and he visited Ann Arbor last spring.
Mills has made visits nationally during the course of his recruitment, and while recent visits have gone to Midwest programs, the four-star defensive lineman is interested in programs across the country.
“I actually went to a lot of places this summer like Alabama and Georgia,” Milles noted. “I think it was good just to open my eyes so I can see more than just the Midwest. Location is not a huge thing for me, so don’t be surprised if I go check out more areas.”
While no visits are set in the immediate future, Mills does plan to take more trips before rendering his final college decision.
“My goal right now is to commit before the season,” Mills said. “I think I will probably take officials in May or during the summer.”
Mills has ranked in the Rivals250 for the 2020 class since its inception and is one of five four-star prospects in the state of Illinois’ 2020 class.