Ward close to a decision
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - For four-star defensive end Channing Ward of Aberdeen (Miss.), decision day is almost here, and it couldn't arrive fast enough.
"I'm kind of ready to get it over with," Ward said.
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The 6-feet-4, 250-pounder plans to announce at Thursday night's Under Armour All-America game in St. Petersburg. According to Ward, all that's left is to, um, actually pick a school.
"I haven't narrowed it down any more," Ward told Rivals.com following Sunday's Under Armour practice. "I'm still at five."
Those five are: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi and Mississippi State. Asked if he had an idea which one he might pick, Ward replied, "In my mind I do."
Then, he added, "I haven't told anybody yet," referring to the colleges in the hunt.
Ward didn't seem to drop any significant hints.
"With the in-state schools, they're close to home and people can come watch you play," Ward said. "Then, with the other schools, they've got so much to offer.
Ward said he talks to his mother every night about his situation.
But, he insisted, the decision is "all me."
"It's a hard decision," Ward said. "I've just got to do what's best for me. You're going to let somebody down whoever you pick but you've got to do what's best for you. You can't let anybody else do your pick."
In Aberdeen, the fans of one school in particular are trying their best to nudge Ward to their program, he said.
"There's a lot of pressure, especially where I'm from … there's a lot of Mississippi State fans," Ward said. "Everytime I go to the store, someone asks me where I'm going. They want you to go to State."
This week in Central Florida, Ward has more than his announcement on his mind.
"I'm trying to better myself," he said. "These are the types of players you're going to be playing when you get to college. You've got to work hard and show everybody you're a player."
Keith Niebuhr can be reached at Keithrivals@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter @KeithRIVALS.