Yruretagoyena considering all options
TEMPE, Ariz. - It's not that Andre Yruretagoyena doesn't care about the recruiting process but the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral offensive lineman just can't find the time to delve into the minutiae of it all.
Workouts at 5 a.m. don't allow Yruretagoyena much space time to do research or worry about rankings. Getting home late in the evening, Yruretagoyena can only focus on his schoolwork and his team. That's just how he wants it.
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"It's important because if you worry about your recruiting your senior season is going to slip and you won't be as good of a player as you were your junior year when you're working for something," Yruretagoyena said.
"I'm really thinking about doing it after the season because I really want to focus on this season because we have big shoes to fill. I really don't want to do anything but win states again."
Checking in at 6-foot-4 ½ and 258 pounds at Sunday's Rivals.com Five-Star Academy at Arizona State, Yruretagoyena said his newest offers are from Washington and Kansas State but that he hasn't put a whole lot of thought into recruiting just yet.
"We just got new weight trainers again and we're up every morning at 5 a.m. at school and I don't get done until 9 or 10, sometimes 11," Yruretagoyena said.
"We go hard and it's not easy at all. I want to be in the best shape I can possibly be in to make sure I can dominate anybody I go against. I like the fact that I get to bond with my team. They're already like a family to me and I want to be a leader on this year's team."
Although recruiting is not at the forefront, Yruretagoyena is not totally neglecting it, either. His father lives in Portland, Ore., so Oregon is getting serious consideration. It could be his top school if Yruretagoyena had a solid top-five list but he hasn't made one yet.
Washington is also being strongly considered and it didn't slip past Yruretagoyena that the Huskies upset Southern Cal last season. He believes that's one sign Washington is an up-and-coming program.
"I really like Washington," Yruretagoyena said. "They're a great school and they're going to be a huge program coming up. I really like it. I know they're interested and they're on the rise. They beat SC last season and I see a lot of good things coming from them."
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Oregon State, San Diego State and UCLA have also offered Yruretagoyena, who said location will play a big factor in his decision-making process because he has family in California and the Pacific Northwest.
Since so many programs have already offered, Yruretagoyena can be selective when making his college choice.
He said location, academics, program history and coaching staff will play the biggest roles. Even though he shuns most of the attention, he gets a good gauge of which programs are most interested by seeing how involved coaches are recruiting him.
"I really like it but at the same time I don't really let it get the best of me," Yruretagoyena said. "I like how they want to talk to me, they want me to come out and visit. But like I said I don't really want to think about it until I have to."