5-Star Isaac Nauta Discusses Official Visits, Criteria for Making Final Decision

BRADENTON, Fla. — With a little more than two months left before he will enroll early at the school of his choice, 5-star tight end Isaac Nauta is still sorting through his options.

He’s already taken official visits to Georgia, Michigan and Ole Miss. He's slated to visit both Alabama and TCU next month. His decision will seemingly come down to those five schools.

Coaches from four of his five favorites—all except TCU—were in attendance for IMG Academy's 28-20 win over Paramus Catholic (New Jersey) last weekend.

The 6’4”, 237-pounder admits his decision will be tough, but he’s identified a couple of factors that will be critical in picking the best school for him.

“I just try to break it down to two simple things. It’s where I get a gut feeling and then the other one is just being around good people,” Nauta told Bleacher Report. “Every school has good facilities and good coaches. It’s being around good people, that’s what makes college fun. I’d like to go to a place where they win a little bit too.”

One thing he’s paid close attention to on his visits is how each school is using the tight end.

“I just want to see what they do with the tight end,” Nauta said. “No matter what [coaches] tell you, coaches aren’t going to change their scheme for you. If they tell me they are going to use the tight end, I’d love to see it on the field.”

In the offseason, the ninth-ranked player in the 2016 recruiting class left his home state of Georgia prior to transferring to Florida powerhouse IMG Academy. The Bulldogs have been the perceived leaders since he backed off an early pledge to Florida State in the summer.

He was in attendance for the Bulldogs’ home loss to Alabama. While the Bulldogs have faded after a strong start, he admits that he’s very comfortable with the staff and the direction the program is headed in.

“Obviously, for them, after that Alabama game it’s been a little bit of a struggle,” Nauta explained. "They had a chance to tie it up with Tennessee, but they couldn’t make a play at the end. They are struggling a little bit, but overall, I like the program. I like the coaching staff over there. I think they have a good plan, but it’s just a matter of getting the guys.”

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh—who was present during last weekend's game between IMG and Paramus—has made Nauta a priority in this cycle. While Nauta saw the Wolverines' shocking loss to rival Michigan State in person, he likes Harbaugh’s history of using the tight end as a featured option in his offense.

“Coach Harbaugh, he’s really big on using the tight end,” Nauta said. “He’s proven it everywhere he’s been, whether that was in the NFL or at Stanford. He’s always used the tight end and it’s a pro scheme too, so that will prepare you for the league.”

He also admits that the visit to Ann Arbor exceeded his expectations.

“Besides [the loss], it was a great visit,” Nauta said. “They showed me a really good time. I knew I would like it up there, but I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did.”

One lure to Ole Miss is the fact that he’s currently playing with 5-star quarterback and current Rebels pledge Shea Patterson, who has been in his ear about teaming up again at the next level.

“I’ve gotten to build a little bit of chemistry with [4-star receiver] Drake [Davis] and Isaac over the summer and the other guys since I’ve been here,” Patterson said. “It’s been cool really. I just try to have fun with it. Recruiting can be stressful, so I think it’s important to keep that levity with it when we joke around about it.”

Nauta is also looking forward to his final two visits to Alabama and TCU.

“With Alabama, I’ve never been there for a game,” Nauta said. “I just want to see the game-day atmosphere there. I want to see if it’s a place I could live for four years. I do know that they use their tight end, just because of what they have done in the past with them. Obviously, their offense hasn’t changed with [head coach Nick] Saban being there. With TCU, that’s a potent offense, so I just want to see how they would use the tight end if I were to go there.”

Nauta also noted that the official visits are critical in helping him make his final decision—which is scheduled to come during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January.

With only a few games left in his high school career, he also notes how his offseason transfer to IMG is preparing him for the jump that awaits him in a few months.

“It’s been great to go against all of these guys on a daily basis,” Nauta said. “Sometimes we will score in two plays, and the windows for opportunity are so small because we’ve got so many good guys. But that makes it more challenging and more competitive, and that’s the way it’s going to be in college.”

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

Follow @SanjayKirpalani