Rowland not in a rush

When you win three state championships in a row, it's easy to garner attention.

Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial lineman Nick Rowland has received much interest from Pac-10 schools this spring.

Right now, though, he's more interested in gearing up for his senior season and a possible fourth-straight title for Centennial, which has won 40 of its last 41 games.

"We're working on getting the team ready," Rowland said. "Practices have been going great, the team's coming together really well and there's a lot of camaraderie. We've been re-learning the offense and working on our fundamentals for the guys who have gotten a little rusty."

The 6-foot-4, 296-pound guard is up to nine offers thus far. His most recent one came from Wyoming.

More could be on the way for Rivals.com's No. 8 ranked offensive guard – possibly as soon as this week.

"There are a couple schools I'd like to hear more from, and I think they're close to offering: USC, Notre Dame and Nebraska," Rowland said. "There's a lot of history with those football programs, that's the main thing I like. I'm sure there will be plenty more, there were three or four colleges (at practice) every day last week."

Coaches from USC visited Centennial Monday, and Rowland said he's expecting a visit from Notre Dame on Wednesday or Thursday.

Rowland said the schools he's spoken with most are Cal, Oregon and Stanford. He had nothing but good things to say about a recent trip to Palo Alto, Calif.

"I really like Stanford's staff, I actually had the privilege to take an unofficial trip up there in February," Rowland said. "I got to meet everyone and see the campus first-hand and watch some spring practices. It's a lot different up there than it is in Arizona – there's a lot of green."

Rowland said he's had a fair amount of contact with Arizona and Arizona State, but that he's fine with getting out of the state if that's the best option.

"Yeah, UofA has been talking to be quite a bit, and ASU I've talked to recently but there hasn't been too much contact, except I saw Coach Gregg Smith two weeks ago," Rowland said. "I'm not trying to get out of the state, but I'm not necessarily trying to stay in-state either."

Though Rowland hasn't spent much time planning out his camps or visits for the summer, he will attend USC's Rising Stars Camp in late June.

Rowland has appreciated the recent interest from the Trojans.

"I've always been a very competitive person, and I think USC is one of the schools that has the most competitive athletes in the country," he said.

Though he's had contact with nearly every Pac-10 school, Rowland is interested in expanding his college search to the rest of the nation.

"The Pac-10 is a great conference, don't get me wrong, but I'd definitely like to hear more from the other conferences," he said. "I'm interested in anyone who has interest in me. I'm trying to find a mix between a good football program and a good location.

Overall I just need to feel comfortable with the schools and all its coaches."

Rowland said he'll take his time when narrowing down his list of schools and isn't sure when he will make a decision.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't think it's one of those things you can set a timeline for. You do it when it feels right."