SoCal DE lands first offer

Sackmaster defensive end Charles Burks (6-1, 230, 4.6) from Huntington Beach (Calif.) Edison picked up his first offer in what appears the first of many this past weekend when he attended a Pac-10 school's junior day.

"I picked up an offer from Stanford today (Saturday February 27th)," Burks said. "I went on the junior day went into the sky box that was a faculty, recruit lunch and after we were done eating Coach Harbaugh (Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh), came over and he was talking to my family and I.

"Coach Harbaugh told me that he would like to offer me a full scholarship to Stanford," Burks said. "He said that they really liked what they saw from me on film and are very interested in me and that Stanford wanted to offer me a full scholarship. I was very excited about the offer,I wasn't expecting it.

"A lot of the guys that up there had their offers already," Burks said. "A couple of them committed, but I wasn't expecting the offer. I'm really happy right now and I'm excited. It feels good.

"The reason I didn't commit right now was because it is still very early and I want to talk it over with my whole family," Burks said. "I want to have a big family meeting about it and just go over everything because my family is so important to me.

"It's going to be my decision," Burks said. "But at the same time, my family is going to have some input in the decision that I make.

"I also want to see what's going to happen," Burks said. "I want to see if anybody else is going to present something to me.

"I'm very thrilled with Stanford, though," Burks said. "The school has a lot of what I am looking for academically and athletically. I am very interested in Stanford.

While Stanford is the first team to come out of the box with an offer, there are other schools showing the talented defensive end a lot of interest.

"I received a handwritten letter from Oregon State," Burks said. "I called their coach and talked to him and said that they really liked me on film and that they want to see me up at one of their camps and since they already had their junior day that whenever I want to come up just to let them know and they will like a little unofficial junior day for me.

"I have also talked to a coach from Kansas," Burks said. "I am also Michigan's junior day in two weeks. I've also received a lot of mail from Arizona State."

Burks accounted for 52 tackles and 14 sacks in only 10 games. This performance saw him earn Defensive Lineman of the Year, first-team all-league, first-team all-county and all-CIF SS for the Pac-5 Division.

The athletic Burks has been a varsity wrestler since his freshman year, but he had to take his junior season off because of a leg injury that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs, but he will be back his senior year.

As a freshman, Burks won league and he repeated that feat as a sophomore, while also placing in CIF, making it to masters and he was one round from going to the state meet. In the sophomore state competition, Burks took fifth place.