Rivals250 defensive tackle PJ Mustipher has kept a relatively low profile this offseason but that hasn't stopped him from getting out on the road and taking visits. A handful of schools have the attention of the Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh star but three are in slightly better position than the rest.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

"Penn State, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech are the ones I'm concentrating on now," Mustipher said. "I would say my relationships at Penn State, Maryland, and Tennessee are the strongest. You could say those three schools are a cut above the rest.

"I was at Penn State in late May," he said. "It was a great visit. It gave me a chance to get back there again. I hadn't been there since the spring. My family really wanted to get back there and continue building the relationships we have there. They've been recruiting me since I was 14 years old. It was good to hang out with the coaches during a baseball game and see what's going on.

"(Rivals100 defensive end) Eyabi (Anoma) went on that visit with me and we are really close," said Mustipher. "I played AAU basketball with him back when I was in middle school. We've talked about going to school together and it would be game over for the offensive linemen if he was playing end and I was playing the three-technique. That would be deadly. When it gets closer to when I'm going to commit or when he's going to commit we'll definitely talk about it.

"Maryland wants to come over there a lot and I've been going to check them out," he said. "It's close and I can bring my family with me easily. That relationship I have with coach Brumbaugh, the new defensive line coach, is unreal. I talk to him just about every day. I talk to coach Durkin a lot too. It feels like a family when I'm up there. I really believe in what coach Brumbaugh says and I really trust him. I think he could take me where I want to go. He's the reason I'm much more interested in Maryland now. Having a lot of guys there that I know and that are former teammates is definitely a plus.

"This past visit was the first time my mom got to see Tennessee," Mustipher said. "My dad and I have been there twice already. She absolutely fell in love with it. I got to hang around the players for a night and the next day. They had a big BBQ set up for just my family on the rooftop of the facility. It was a great time down there. I love going down there. That SEC vibe I get when I go to a game or just sit down and talk to the coaches about that atmosphere is one of the best in the country. Not many people can say that.

"I talked to Khalil McKenzie a lot," he said. "I hung out with Shy Tuttle at his house. He beat me a little bit when we were playing Xbox but that's all right. It was great hanging out with those guys. I've spoken to Derek Barnett before and he's one of my favorite players besides my brother. Tennessee has great success with defensive linemen.

"I've seen some of the stuff people are saying about me and Notre Dame," said Mustipher. "I have a great relationship with coach Elston. He hit me up yesterday saying he wants to see me do great things at The Opening. Coach Kelly sent me a DM yesterday with an edit and said he wants to go out there and do well. My relationship with them is still going on. They made a lot of offseason changes, which I really like. I stay on the down-low with everything I do so people may not know all about this.

"I was at Michigan State back in the spring," he said. "Coach Dantonio acknowledged that they had a down year and he didn't run away from talking about it. He said they will be coming back to winning. They've always had great defensive linemen. Coach Ron Burton is one of the best in the business. I definitely trust him. Coach Dantonio and I talk a lot and same with coach Burton. I will get back there for a visit.

"I've seen a great change at Virginia Tech," Mustipher said. "They brought a young vibrant coach in. Coach Fuente is a really good coach. My teammate DeJuan Ellis is committed there right now and he's been telling me I need to get down there. I have a great relationship with coach Scott. He got a chance to see me work out. They've really gotten more into my recruitment as we've built our relationship.

"I'm going to camp at Penn State and do the BBQ on July 14th and 15th," he said. "I'll visit Tennessee on July 20th also. Alabama wants me to visit on the 22nd but I don't know if I'll be able to make it because I'm taking a SAT prep class. My dad and coach Locksley really want me to get down there.

"Penn State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech will probably get official visits," said Mustipher. "I don't need to use one for Maryland because they are so close and I can visit there any time. None of these are set in stone.

"I'll announce a commitment whenever it feels right," he said. "I know I said I had a date in the past but I'll commit when it feels right."

RIVALS' REACTION

Mustipher is generally pretty tight-lipped so it's a little surprising that he admitted Penn State, Maryland, and Tennessee are in the best position right now. Even though he didn't say it, Penn State seems like the leader with Maryland and Tennessee nipping at their heels. Alabama is a wild card but, with a commitment that come at any moment, it will be a win for Maryland, Tennessee, the Crimson Tide, and the rest of Mustipher's top contenders if he comes away from his upcoming Penn State visit uncommitted.