Tight end setting up official visits
Dillon Van Der Wal will take his first official visit to Minnesota this weekend and the Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian tight end is not only excited about that trip but a few others coming up as well.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound three-star prospect said he's also planning official visits to Arizona State, Duke and possibly Nebraska but this weekend's trip to Minnesota to see the USC game could be big.
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"I love everything about Minnesota," Van Der Wal said. "The coaches there are great, really easy to talk to and they try to make it like a family by just the way they talk to you. It's a really cool atmosphere there.
"I'm really excited to see the campus. My parents went there over the summer and they loved everything about it and they said it's something I'm really going to like. A lot of my friends who have been in the area said I'm going to love it so it's just a matter of me going to see it now."
Nebraska seems to be making a push for Van Der Wal, rated as the No. 23 tight end nationally and No. 28 in the California state rankings by Rivals.com.
He said the Huskers have been in close contact recently and he's definitely intrigued to learn more about the program and possibly take a visit to Lincoln.
"I've been talking to them a lot lately," Van Der Wal said. "I like the program there. I just started talking to them.
"I'm really excited about Nebraska. It sounds like a really good opportunity, a great program with a lot of tradition. We started talking and it's just a developing situation so we'll see where that goes."
Visits are starting to happen and after trips to Minnesota, Arizona State, Duke and possibly some other places Van Der Wal should be ready to make a decision. He plans to make all of his trips first and not rush into a commitment.
Baylor, New Mexico State and San Diego State have also offered and Cal, UCLA and others were in contact over the summer. These upcoming trips will have a big influence in where Van Der Wal decides to play his college ball.
"I'm going to wait a little bit, take my visits before I figure out leaders or anything like that," he said. "I want to see the schools and really evaluate everything."