Wren talks current favorites

It's not really a top three or a true list of favorites, mostly because one of the schools defensive end Renell Wren lists as a frontrunner haven't offered him a scholarship.

But for a player whose recruitment took off later than that of some other prospects, it's certainly something. Wren holds nine scholarship offers at the time being, and when asked if he has a few favorites in the process, he doesn't mind belting them out.

Offer or no offer, it's all the same to him for the time being.

"My favorite three right now is Purdue, Memphis and Michigan State," Wren said on Tuesday.

Purdue and Memphis have already offered Wren. Michigan State has not. The three programs do, however, share certain qualities. That's to say there's a reason they're at the forefront of his mind.

"They all have big campus environments and you can get a good education there," Wren said. "Plus, they're close to home. I'm not totally against going far away but I haven't really gotten too far away to visit or anything like that yet."

Wren's pecking order is subject to change as his recruitment takes shape. New offers could change his frontrunners. As could his experience during the upcoming set of unofficial visit. See, Wren doesn't want to be locked into a handful of favorite schools. Not yet, anyway. He's always evaluating. And, in turn, his outlook is always evolving.

"I'm supposed to be visiting Purdue next Monday, which the 22nd of July," he said. "I'm supposed to visit Illinois on Wednesday and some other school on Friday, but we don't know which one yet. We're keeping the options open."

Wren says that Michigan State remains in close contract despite the fact that no offer has materialized as of yet. There are other schools that are toeing the same line as the Spartans.

"Nebraska was talking about that they want to come into the recruiting process more during the season," Wren said. "The Ohio State and the University of Oklahoma are doing the same thing."

Wren, who says he will wait until close to January to take official visits, hopes to have a final five in place by the end of his senior season at St. Louis, Missouri's Lutheran North High School.