4-Star OL E.J. Price Talks Top 8 Schools, Life After College

Fresh off of a busy summer that included numerous camps and visits to various programs, 4-star offensive tackle E.J. Price has narrowed his list of schools to a final group of eight powers.

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#ArcherNation #Team7 #Team7Dream7 ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/VwzQxwdcT8

— EJ Price (@Ej_Price77) August 4, 2015"

Included in his list of finalists are the in-state Georgia Bulldogs—to whom Price was once committed before reopening his process earlier this summer.

Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Tennessee join the Bulldogs in the 6’6”, 311-pounder’s short list.

What has Price intrigued with each of these schools, and what are the major factors that will play into his final decision?

Price spoke with Bleacher Report recently and broke down the teams still battling for his commitment.  

Auburn – “They started recruiting me since I was a sophomore. I’ve visited there a few times and I love the atmosphere on campus. Every time I go there, I love it. They have a great coaching staff there. [Offensive Line] coach J.B. Grimes is one of the best to ever do it. It’s a great place in general.”

Florida State – “They are winners. They have been a power program over the last couple of years. [Offensive Line] Coach Rick Trickett is one of the best OL coaches in the business. I just love the campus. I enjoy my time every time I go down there. They won a national championship recently and they should contend again this year.”

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Coach Trickett is an OL GURU #NoleNation #NoleFam #Noles #FSU

— EJ Price (@Ej_Price77) July 15, 2015"

Georgia – “I live in Georgia. They have been one of my top schools from the beginning. I was committed to Georgia at one time and I still have a great relationship with Coach [Mark] Richt. I felt like I committed a little too early and I just want to enjoy the process a little bit. [Richt] understands that. They have been one of my top schools, and it will remain that way until the end.”

LSU – “[Offensive line] Coach [Jeff] Grimes, I’ve built a great relationship with him. He’s coming by our school a lot. He also is familiar with my offensive line coach in high school. Coach Les Miles, I’m originally from Michigan, and he is as well. We have that connection. They are an elite program.”

Michigan – “I’m from Michigan originally and I grew up a Wolverines fan. With Coach Harbaugh coming in, that has a major impact on me. He’s got a great coaching staff around him. I look forward to seeing how they do this season, and I’d like to get up there, hopefully for an official visit.”

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A little love from OU #boomersooner #OU pic.twitter.com/dVAJ3g1viW

— EJ Price (@Ej_Price77) August 5, 2015"

Oklahoma – “That’s OL U. They produce a ton of offensive linemen. Their resume speaks for itself in developing great players at my position. One of my favorite offensive linemen is Trent Williams with the Redskins, and he went there. I’ve spoken with the offensive line coach there, and that could be another place I take an official visit to.”

Ole Miss – “[offensive line] Coach Matt Luke, he’s a great guy. He’s hilarious. Every time I talk to him, we just click. Plus, they have also done well in producing offensive linemen. We just had my teammate, [3-star linebacker] Donta Evans, commit there. We [Archer] have some other guys who are interested in them too.”

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Great visit today @Jamy0602 @UnifiedPreps @csnewman91 #UT #GBO #VOLNATION #Vols pic.twitter.com/hMBEfJB4Le

— EJ Price (@Ej_Price77) July 25, 2015"

Tennessee – “[Head]Coach Butch Jones has personally been recruiting me. Their whole coaching staff has showed me a lot of love, and they have been interested in me from the very beginning. I visited there for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was great. I’m not one of those guys who gets caught up in facilities, but [Tennessee’s] blew me away. I plan to go back there sometime soon.”

The Peach State standout is the nation's No. 8 offensive tackle prospect and the No. 52 player overall in the 2016 class. He maintained his status as one of the elite offensive linemen in this cycle with a great showing at The Opening in July. 

That experience, he said, is a perfect springboard into his senior season. 

"At The Opening in Oregon, I was able to be coached by one of the best in LeCharles Bentley," Price said. "He worked with me on my footwork and technique. That was something I really appreciate, and I feel like it will help my game a lot this season."

Price, who currently reports a 3.1 GPA and a desire to major in a field of law in college, mentioned Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Louisville and Ole Miss as schools he has tentative plans on visiting in the coming months.

Still, he admits he has a lot of homework to do before reaching a conclusion. The recruiting process, he said, can get confusing at times.

“Sometimes, I don’t even know what I’m thinking,” Price said with a laugh. “I just roll with it. It’s all about the relationships I’m building with these coaches. They all want me on campus. I really just don’t know right now. Anything can happen, I guess.”

Other than his bond with his position coach, he also notes that life away from football will factor into his decision-making process.

“I’m just looking at the overall picture,” Price said. “Like what I want to do after college? What school best suits me as a person, and where do I feel like I fit in best? I will also take into my consideration how my family feels about the school. That will play a major part as well.”

Price said his current focus is on his senior season at Archer High School and helping his team win a state championship—which means a decision isn’t likely until that pursuit concludes. 

“I just want to find the best school for me,” Price said. “Whenever that happens, and if I get that feeling, that’s when I will commit. Right now, I plan to release my final three schools after I take my official visits. It won’t be anytime soon. It will definitely be after the season.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani