Roche talks about visit

Offensive/defensive tackle Brian Roche took an official visit to NC State over the weekend and he went into great detail in describing the experience.

The versatile 6-foot-4, 275-pound lineman from Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep visited Michigan State and Louisville in December. How did his trip to Raleigh, N.C. compare to those?

"It's really hard to compare those three visits, because the schools are different," said Roche. "Michigan State is much different than Louisville and NC State, whereas Louisville and NC State are pretty similar. The cultural atmosphere surrounding the two schools is a lot alike, in the cities and in the campus. I expected to go into the visits and learn so much more about the schools, but I've already been talking to the coaches a lot and had heard so much about all the schools."

What were some of the positives of the NC State trip?

"I was very impressed with their facilities," he said. "They're some of the best I've seen. From the weight room to the players lounges to the lockers and the meeting rooms, they're great. The only downside to NC State is they didn't have a really good season last year. I know they got hit hard by injuries and played in a tough conference, but the offense seemed like it was a problem. The defense was great, and I want to play in a league like the ACC. But that's the only downside I can think of to the school."

Roche will visit Florida this weekend and Notre Dame on Jan. 28.

"The one coach I really haven't had a chance to talk to as much is Urban Meyer down at Florida. I'm looking forward to getting a feel for the type of program he wants to run. I can't really put my favorites in any order, because I haven't visited two of them."

When does Roche plan on making a decision?

"My last visit is going to end like two or three days before Signing Day, so I'll probably wait until then to make an announcement. I really don't know what I'm going to do right now, so I'll sit down and talk things over with some people after the Notre Dame visit."