Two at the top for Burks

Carmel, Ind., three-star linebacker Noah Burks knows he wants to play in the Big Ten, and two programs from that conference currently top his list.

"Wisconsin and Maryland are my two favorites right now," Burks said. "I visited Wisconsin a month, month and a half ago. Then, I am getting up to visit Maryland on May 29."

The trip that Burks has scheduled to Maryland later this month will be his first visit to the Terrapin's campus.

"I am pretty excited about it. I have only heard great things about College Park and how cool of a place it is," Burks said. "Obviously Maryland is running a great football program and I think they are on the up-rise for sure. They are in the Big Ten now and I am a huge fan of the East Coast."

Burks has also been paying attention to what Maryland is doing on the recruiting trail this spring.

"They have a great recruiting class going right now, especially after the (Dwayne) Haskins commit," Burks said. "Another cool thing about that is all their recruits have reached out to me at this point, so I know the love is there for sure.

"But, like I said, I still have to learn everything and get the full experience of what it is like being out there so I can know if it's the place I can be for the next four years."

Burks made the trip to Wisconsin back in April to check out the campus and attend a spring practice.

"I had never even been in the state before, and honestly, driving up to Madison, the view was incredible. It wasn't what I was expecting at all," Burks said. "Camp Randall is a neat looking place and I know their fans are crazy. They've sold out the last 12 seasons which I think is a huge thing because you always want to have a good support base.

"I think Wisconsin has the complete football program. I think they are always going to be a winning organization, which is huge, and they make something out of their guys. I think it is a lot of blue collar football that you see out there and guys making a name for themselves."

The visit to Madison also gave Burks the chance to familiarize himself with more of the Wisconsin coaches besides just his primary recruiter.

"I have a good relationship with their coaching staff, even though the main guy I talked to is headed out to Oregon State," Burks said. "It is going to suck not having him to talk to anymore, but Coach (Tim) Tibesar is the outside lineabcekrs coach and he's my guy. I enjoy talking to him and have a good relationship with him."

Wisconsin is recruiting Burks for outside linebacker. Maryland, meanwhile, initially offered him as an inside linebacker, but has since told him they could see him at all three positions.

Once Burks returns from Maryland later this month he will have seen his top two schools, and a decision may not be far off.

"It's very possible that the decision could come in the month of June," Burks said. "I'm not going to give a set date because that's not the kind of thing I really want to do. I want it to be a feeling that I know where I want to go."

Other schools that have offered Burks from the Big Ten are Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota.

"The one school that I would want to visit is Minnesota," Burks said. "I think that would be pretty interesting. I've been talking to one of their linebackers, Carter Coughlin, so I think it would be cool to go out and meet up with him."

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Burks tallied 120 tackles, including 17 for loss, from his outside linebacker position as a junior. He is ranked as the No. 38 outside linebacker prospect in the 2016 class.