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Westphals reputation precedes him

Nationally recruited defensive prospects are often the focal points of game plans designed to avoid them as seniors, but when you have more than a dozen offers from BCS schools heading into your junior season the same scenario can happen, as Bolingbrook, Ill., cornerback Parrker Westphal has found out.
"Teams are not going my way," Westphal lamented. "I'm starting to get annoyed."
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Westphal has only been able to notch a handful of tackles on the season, though he did add a 55-yard punt return last weekend.
There is good reason for opposing offenses to pay that kind of respect to the 6-foot-1, 186-pound junior, though. He has received offers from some of the biggest names in college football, and continues to draw new interest. The top two ranked programs in the current polls are among the schools that made contact in the last week.
"Alabama didn't surprise me, but USC kind of surprised me," Westphal said. "Me and the [USC] coach have just been getting to know each other. I had never talked to them before, but we talked for the first time on Sept. 1.
"Alabama was saying I was their top target in the class of 2014. They've always got a good defense and play fast, so I like that."
Westphal also mentioned new interest from Minnesota and Wisconsin in the last week as well. None of those four schools have yet to offer, but programs like Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Cincinnati and West Virginia have.
Westphal watched the opening weekend of college games from home, but he is looking at trips for later this fall.
"I'd like to see Florida and West Virginia because I haven't made it out there yet," Westphal said. "I think I might go to Northwestern this Saturday. I've got a game that day, but it is close. Proximity to home doesn't really matter, but I like the school and the academics."
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