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football Edit

Top linebacker piling up the offers

Saginaw, Mich. linebacker Lamarr Woodley has the offers coming, tons of mail piling up and visits to his coach going on constantly now.
“I can’t even count all of them,” Lamarr’s mother, Janice Staples, said about the offers. “It is about every college that I can think of.”
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The mail situation is about the same.
“I have a garbage bag full now.” She gets about six letters a day and those are not including what his dad and his coach receive on a daily basis.
His mother feels that the two Michigan schools might be the early favorites and that is fine with her. However, she will leave the decision up to her son.
“I believe around Michigan,” she said about a favorite school. “I think Michigan and Michigan State are one of the top ones right now.” She emphasized “right now.” “That is what I’m saying, as he goes to visit there a lot. I don’t know, as he could fool me.”
“It would be better for me,” she said about her preference being close to home. "I can check out a game and still go to work.”
However, his mother will support him on whatever decision that he finally makes.
“I guess whatever he likes, as I am not going to choose it for him. Because if he doesn’t like it, it would be his choice.”
Lamarr Woodley knows the number of offers to date, but he is expecting more.
"So far, I have like 11 offers," Lamarr said, "Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Virginia, Nebraska, Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin, Penn State, Toledo and Miami."
Camps are planned on a limited basis for this summer.
"I am going to the Michigan camp and I'm going down to the Michigan State camp too."
Are Michigan and Michigan State your leaders?
"No, they are just the main two schools in the state (of Michigan)."
"Yes," was his answer to whether he is still open minded in his thinking.
However, the two Michigan schools are in his top three right now.
It is Michigan and Michigan State and "USC, but I don't have the other schools yet."
In other words, he has Michigan, Michigan State and USC in his final five at this point, but he may end up taking four more official visits out of state.
Do you know who the other visits might be?
"No, I haven't got that (far) yet."
As a youngster, he followed the Cornhuskers and he is thinking about last year’s national champions too.
"Nebraska, ever since I was growing up, that has always been my dream stuff to go to Nebraska. It has always been that way. I would consider Nebraska. I have been thinking about Miami, but I'm not sure yet. If I visit Miami and Nebraska, that is going to be it (other than a trip to USC and the Michigan schools)."
USC: "They are like a good linebacker school. They send a lot of linebackers to the pros, like Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers. That is what I really like about that school."
His speed and quickness is what will set him apart at the next level.
He ran the 40-yard dash just recently at a Nike camp and it was "the very first time that I have run it."
At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, the blue chip player was recently timed in the 40-yard dash at just above 4.7 seconds. His 20-yard shuttle time (pro-agility) was right in the range of a flat 4.00 seconds, which is outstanding for any sized player, but for his size it is beyond that. His vertical came up just short of 30 inches.
With his speed and agility it is no wonder what he had to say about what he felt were his strong points on the football field. "Chasing down the quarterback, running to one side of the field to the other side and getting the tackles," he said.
He has thought out what will be important for the school of his choice.
"It will be a winning school and to go in and have the opportunity to play and education wise too." A good education is paramount for consideration by Lamarr Woodley and his family. "Another thing, when I take my visit is going to be the coaching staff, and how good is the coaching staff. I have to feel real comfortable with the coaches."
Woodley has "not been doing any heavy lifting" since last June. Last June, his maximum bench lift was 315 pounds and he has never done the squat lift for any maximum to this point.
He carries a 2.8 grade point average. He will be taking his ACT very soon
Lamarr Woodley was very busy at linebacker for Saginaw High School in Michigan last year as a junior. The top 6-foot-3, 250 pound athlete ended the season with 112 tackles. He added "12 sacks, eight (tackles) for loss, it might have been and eight pass deflections too."
As a junior, Woodley made first team all-state in Michigan.
As a sophomore he did not go without recognition either. He made first team all-valley and first team all-league as a sophomore. "That is all that I made," he said modestly.
Lamarr Woodley could end up playing defensive end in college or middle linebacker, but he said that all of the schools want him for outside linebacker. "As long as they have me rushing at the quarterback, it doesn't matter to me."
As far as deciding on a school right now, it is just not the time yet. He will make some visits and then decide.
"(And) it is open for any school."
Side Note: Lamarr’s mother has yet to see her first college football game in person, except on television. That will change soon.
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