Utah three-star has one visit planned

Three-star defensive end Joe Kruger (6-7, 240, 4.6) from Orem (Utah) Timpanogos has racked up offers from every school in the Pac 10 except for one and the ever present out west SEC Tennessee is on the verge of offering. Kruger has been a longtime soft commit to Utah, where his brothers play(ed), but he has sincere interest in other schools at this time.

"Things have kind of slowed down since the summer," Kruger said about his recruitment of late. "I am still talking to coaches from UCLA and all the other schools I was talking to.

"I'm still talking to BYU, Utah, Oregon, and Oregon State," Kruger said. "I'm talking to a lot of the Pac 10 schools.

Has Kruger been able to take any unofficial visits this summer to see some of the Pac 10 schools, he's interested in?

"No, I haven't, but I'm going to take an official visit to UCLA for sure," Kruger said. "I haven't decided yet what other schools I want to visit yet.

"Since BYU and Utah are so close," Kruger said. "I probably won't take an official visit to either. I have been to both schools many times. I know everything about them.

"I will probably take an official visit to Oregon State," Kruger said. "To see what that is like and maybe Arizona State.

Kruger is planning on making his final college choice after the college season concludes

Are there any other schools that Kruger would like to hear more from?

"Schools that I would probably be interested in are USC and Florida," Kruger said. "Those are two big ones that I would really consider going to. They (USC and Florida) are obviously two schools that are really hard to get into, but I think I can do it and I think I could earn a scholarship from both of those schools because I know what I can do. Those are the other two that I would really like to start hearing from.

Kruger is a member of the LDS faith and he may go on a mission. If he does go on a mission will predicated on if he has early playing time.

"I would like to play my freshman and I know wherever I go that could be hard," Kruger said. "But if I play I won't, but if I don't play I probably will take my mission. It just depends on happens.

Football is definitely in Kruger's blood. His older brother, Paul Kruger was selected in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens as a defensive end and his other brother Dave Kruger grew into a freshman defensive tackle for Utes.

It appears that the youngest Kruger will most likely stay at defensive end.

""I'm taller than both of my brothers, but they both weigh more" Kruger said. "I think I'll stay at D-end just because I'm faster and I am more lean. I probably won't be as heavy as they are."

Kruger's athletic bloodlines come from his parents. Both were D-I athletes at Oregon State. His dad Paul Kruger, played football for Oregon State and his mother Jennifer Kruger participated in track and field.

As a junior, Kruger earned first-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors after racking up 80 tackles, nine sacks and one fumble recovery.