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UCF, Vandy, WVU out in front for 3-star WR

Three-star Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic wide receiver Steven Claude saw his offer list swell to 15 during the spring, with several schools jumping into the mix. But after getting a chance to build relationships with several coaches, he said a group of schools is starting to emerge.
"Everybody is recruiting me pretty hard," Claude said. "But I would say UCF, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and West Virginia are the ones I'm talking to the most."
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The Knights are coming off of the best year in program history and Claude said the Orlando school is telling him he can come in and have an impact early in his career.
"They want me to come in and be a playmaker from Day 1," he said. "I went up there this spring for a visit and it was really nice. I liked the stadium and the campus and I have friends there that I know so that would be an easy transition."
While the idea of staying close to home is appealing, Claude said academics will also play a major role in his decision. That's where Vanderbilt comes into play.
"They think I can be a star in the SEC," Claude said. "I have a 4.0 so they love me as a student, too. I know Jordan Matthews just went in the second round of the draft and we play the same position so that's a good look on them. To know that you can go there and they can help you get to the league is big."
Claude also said the chance to play in the SEC is something that he also finds intriguing.
"Playing in the SEC would be big for me," he said. "They have big games on TV and I know I would be playing with a top-notch quarterback because the schools in the SEC recruit well."
With so many players from South Florida already on the West Virginia roster and committed in the class of 2015, Claude also said he's getting pressured on all fronts when it comes to the Mountaineers.
"I love their offense, it's like the Air Raid," Claude said. "Guys like Khalil Lewis and Alex Anderson that I've known forever, they're already committed there. They're recruiting me hard, they want me to go there with them. We want to go from winning championships in Miami to doing the same thing in college so that's something I'm thinking about."
Claude is starting a college tour this week, with plans to visit Wake Forest, West Virginia, N.C. State, North Carolina, Duke and UCF among others.
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