Sam Young breaks it down

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Sam Young is one of the nation's top prospects and has been in the spotlight since the recruiting process began. Though he's grown a little weary of the process, he's an intelligent young man who knows that comes with the territory. That's why he has narrowed down his list and he breaks down his favorites for Rivals.com.

"Recruiting is a business and that is how I look at it," Young said. "You want to treat everyone fair and with respect and give them a shot. At the end of the day though it's a business and you have to look at that way and what is the best decision for yourself. I have tried to step down this stuff a lot so I could focus on my senior year that is why I went ahead and narrowed it down."

The 6-foot-8, 280-pound Young is ranked as the top player in Florida, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation and the overall No. 9 player in the nation by Rivals.com.

"Most of my top schools are academics first places and I think my choices reflect that," Young said. "Stanford, Penn State, Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, Florida and USC are the ones that I have narrowed it down to at this point. THere might not be a better academic school than Stanford anywhere in the country. They are right up there with the Ivy League schools. USC is a school that has great academics that just happens to be back to back national champions. Coach Cristobal and Kehoe from Miami are great. I am familiar with their style of play and I fit in well with it. It's also close to home which never hurts.

I talk to the coaches at Penn State and they are real funny guys. They always have stories to tell and are always yucking it up. You can cut up with them and give them a hard time. Michigan has one of the richest football traditions in the country and they play in the nation's biggest stadium. They also seem to be known as OL University. Coach Weis has done a fantastic job at Notre Dame and is the reason they are doing so well. You feel that tradition when you step on campus there. It is a special place. I have been up to Florida quite a few times this summer with my teammates Dan and Marcus. Coach Meyer has done a good job and that is a very exciting offense to play in."

When you're 6-foot-8, 280 pounds and quick and agile you can pretty much have your way with your opponent in any way whether it's with power or finesse. Young spends countless hours perfecting both trades.

"As defensive lineman become more like linebackers and quick you have to be able to keep up with them," Young said. "Some coaches like their offensive lineman big and beefy with a lot of power and others like their offensive lineman more lean and mobile. I try to be a combo of both."

Don't expect Young's decision to come in the near future and don't expect it to be a hasty one.

Sam Young VideoClick "I have really been doing my research," Young said. "It is all going to come down to my visits. I am going to take all five and make decision from those."Here to view this Link.