Scott talks latest offers

March saw Marion (Ohio) Harding three-star running back L.J. Scott's offer list increase significantly. The 6-foot, 215-pound ball carrier entered the month with two offers, and now sits at five after three BCS schools joined the mix.

Indiana and Kent State were the first two schools to offer, and they were followed by Louisville, Michigan State and Wisconsin this month. The Louisville offer came in several weeks back.

"I walked by the football coach's room and he pulled me in. On the phone was Coach [Tommy] Restivo, who recruits my area," Scott said. "He said he, Coach [Charlie] Strong and the running backs coach watch the film all together. [Restivo] recommended the offer, the running backs coach said I fit the program and Coach Strong okayed it.

"I was pretty excited about that one… that was a big one. I just think Coach Strong is a good guy. He had turned down other offers to stay at Louisville, which showed how true he was to the University and the football program. Then, I watched a little bit of film on them and their pass to run ratio is not bad. They feed the backs the ball."

The most recent offer to come through was from Wisconsin. The Badgers notified Scott of their offer last week.

"My head coach and coach Bill Busch had stayed in touch," Scott said. "He said I was definitely a back that he was going to recommend to the head coach and running backs coach. He gave me the running backs' coach's number and we started building a relationship, talking every week. The next thing you know my head coach got a text and a call from Bill Busch saying it was official."

Scott plans to follow up the offer from Wisconsin with a visit to Madison on April 6 to watch one of the Badger's spring practices, and he highly anticipates seeing the program first-hand.

"That is probably the biggest [offer], to be honest," Scott said. "I am real excited about that one."

Scott also plans to make spring visits to Michigan State and Louisville in the next month, but has not set those dates yet. He has already been in East Lansing to catch a couple Michigan State games, but not as a recruit.

"I was up there for an Ohio State game, and then my freshman year my I went up there for a Michigan-Michigan State game, which was probably one of the more impressive games I went to," Scott said. "I have to schedule my date when I am going to visit their spring practice, but I am definitely going to get out there."

The latest offers have sped up the timetable for Scott, who is now looking at a potential late spring, early summer timetable.

"Now that I have more offers, I probably will make an earlier decision," Scott said. "It is definitely helpful for me to have more options to look at, but I think after these spring practices when I get a feel for the environment and get familiar with the coaching staffs, I think I will be ready to make my decision."

Scott is ranked as the No. 45 running back prospect in the country. He was a first team all-Army Junior Combine performer in January down in San Antonio.