Top DE Waiting On Offer

One of the top defensive players in the northeast has a number one school, and if they offer, he might be going south.

“My favorite school is Florida,” said 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end Raymond Brooks from Williamsport (Pa.) Williamsport Area. “I like the tradition that they’ve established over the past 10 years, and I don’t see them going anywhere but up. I like the coaches down there, although I haven’t met or talked to Coach Zook.”

Brooks is waiting for the Gators to offer, and he said that when they do, he’ll probably commit. While he’s waiting, he has the ability to sit on offers from NC State, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa, Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, and Cincinnati.

“I’ve got a lot of options,” Brooks explains. “That makes things a lot less stressful. But that doesn’t mean I can afford to slack off at all. I think our team can at least win the conference championship, and that’s going to take an extra commitment from every player on our team. Also, if I want to get an offer from Florida and schools like that, I know I should work on my game.”

As a junior Brooks ran for 800 yards and nine touchdowns as a fullback, and said he had about 15 sacks as a defensive end. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, and will either project as a defensive end or a linebacker in college.

“The only school I’ve visited is Maryland, and I liked that. I’m not sure where else I’ll visit. The one thing I’m certain of is that Florida is my leader, and if they offer, it could speed along the decision. That doesn’t mean I’m not considering other schools, but they do have to be my top choice right now.”