Six in the mix for Theus
Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles five star offensive tackle John Theus, at 6-foot-6, 292-pounds, has the strength, intelligence
and flexibility to mirror whatever pass rusher stands in front of him.
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With room to grow in his already impressive frame, the sky is the
limit for the elite lineman and that is why almost every school in the
country has been competing for his services. The coveted prospect has
href=http://uga.rivals.com>UGASports Tuesday morning to break down
the lucky programs.
For Theus, the past few months have been filled
with calls, handshakes as college coaches from across the country
checking in with the nation's seventh best prospect. With the spring
evaluation period coming to a close, the Theus family decided it would
be a good time to narrow things down before the onset of summer. Theus
says his support system has been very beneficial when trying to
navigate through the recruitment as one of the nation's top
prospects.
"The spring was kind of hectic with all of the coaches
coming by and talking and Skyping with them," said Theus. My family
has been really helpful throughout the process and has always been
there to support me. It is a big decision for my family and we have
talked about it together, but ultimately they have told me the final
decision is mine."
With that in mind, Theus has made the cut down to
six, and he named those lucky finalists and broke each of them
down.
"We decided earlier this spring we were going to try and
narrow my choices down to a top five or six, just to make things a
little less hectic and to allow me to focus on the schools I want to
look at. I narrowed it down to Florida, Georgia,
Arkansas, Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame.
Those are my six finalists that I have the most interest in right
now," said Theus.
Florida: They got this new coaching staff
in that I really like. Coach Frank Verducci and Coach
Will Muschamp and Coach Charlie Weis, I really like
their styles of coaching and what they stand for. I am planning on
camping there June 17th.
Georgia: "Everyone knows that my
brother (2011 signee Nathan Theus) is going there and I have
been up there a good bit. Nathan is really excited about getting up to
Georgia, but he is also very nervous We get to take him up there June
6th I like the school, the coaching staff, and the guys they have up
there on the team. I really like the new offensive line coach Will
Friend as well. I will probably be at Georgia for Dawg
Night."
Alabama: "I went over there for the game against
Florida last year and I got to meet the coaches. I know they have a
new offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, but I knew him
before when he was at Miami. I like their staff a lot and they are
always a good program. I skyped with Coach Nick Saban for
about an hour, and he told me everything about the school, and I liked
it a lot. I am probably going to get back there for a camp this
summer."
Texas: "Coach Stacy Searels went over
there from Georgia, so I have built a really good relationship with
him. I do not know too much about the school, but I know I want to go
over there and visit. I have spoken to Coach Searels on the phone, and
I really like him and what Texas stands for as
well."
Arkansas: "We have a friend that is a graduate
assistant there named Richard Owens who we have been best friends with
forever. Nathan took an official there and said he really liked it a
lot. That is where my interests are with them. I have been keeping up
with Coach Chris Klenakis, and they were out to watch my
spring practice as well."
Notre Dame: "Notre Dame kind of
speaks for itself. It is a prestigious school known for their
academics and football history. I talk to coach Tim Hinton a
lot and I am probably going to go up there to visit in June. My best
friend's dad is a Notre Dame graduate and won a national
championship."
The next couple of months could be vital to each of
these schools' chances of signing the impressive tackle from
Jacksonville. While a January decision is still a possibility for the
All-American tackle, if Theus finds the right fit he admitted he could
decide in a little over a month.
"I will probably not make any more
cuts. I will likely decide from these six, and if I know where I want
to go before my senior season I will make my decision. My decision
could come as early as July, or as late as the Army All-American game
if I am sure what I want to do," revealed Theus.
Kipp Adams is
the recruiting writer for UGASports
and he can be reached via email at kippladams@gmail.com.
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