4-Star WR Tarik Black Breaks Down Top 5, Upcoming Visit Plans

Scholarship offers piled up for prized Connecticut prospect Tarik Black during the past two years. The 4-star wide receiver, facing a rapidly intensifying recruitment, opted to simplify things last weekend.

"This recruiting process has become pretty overwhelming, so I decided it was time to narrow it down and take some stress off myself," he told Bleacher Report.

Black, a 6'4", 208-pound junior at Cheshire Academy, elected to announce five favorites on Twitter:

The list features, alphabetically, Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA. At this stage, no member of the group has gained significant separation.

"All these schools are high on academics, have great football programs with excellent coaches who can help develop me into the receiver that I want to be and get me into the league," he said. "It makes it tough for me because all these schools pretty much have what I'm looking for."

Black has visited each top option at least once, with multiple trips to Michigan. Though this collection of schools is currently under his concentrated focus, he mentioned Georgia, Nebraska, Michigan State and Miami as teams that could make an impact if he's able to spend time on campus down the line. 

Though no dates are locked in at this stage, Black plans to be busy later this spring and into the summer. He hopes to develop a travel itinerary that takes him back to every favorite, aiming to attend as many camps as possible in order to develop a stronger feel for each respective coaching staff.

Black doesn't have a decision timeline in place and ultimately expects to use all five of his official visits.

"You only have one chance to go through this process, so it's important to make the most out of it and really understand your options," he said. 

Black, rated No. 15 among receivers and No. 95 overall in 247Sports' composite rankings, burst onto the scene as an underclassman. He tallied 97 total receptions as a freshman and sophomore, per MaxPreps, including 21 touchdown catches.

We documented his impressive skill set during film studies earlier this year as part of Bleacher Report's CFB Future 100 breakdown:

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This level of hip fluidity is typically reserved for receivers of a smaller stature, setting him apart from several contemporaries who stand in the 6'4" range. His route running is legitimately polished, and Black effectively incorporates savvy shoulder shimmies that throw defenders off his beat for brief moments, often providing him with a stride or two of cushion as the quarterback targets him downfield.

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Black broke down each team in his top five during a discussion with B/R, providing a glimpse of what stands out about each program.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide extended a scholarship offer before the end of his sophomore year, creating major buzz for Black on a national stage. Wisconsin, West Virginia and Virginia Tech each offered within a week of Alabama.

"They came in really early in my recruiting process," he said. "When a big school does that you appreciate it a lot. It was the offer that made me kind of blow up in recruiting."

Black pointed to the program's recent prolific pass-catchers as proof of what's possible in Tuscaloosa.

"That coaching staff can make me the best receiver I can be," he said. "Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley made a ton of plays down the field there. If you play there, you can win a title and get into the league, so that's very intriguing."

Michigan

The Wolverines land on yet another top prospect's list of favorites, serving further evidence of the momentum Michigan has built following a 10-win season and a top-five 2016 recruiting class. Black admits he was impressed by the swift rebound enjoyed in Ann Arbor last fall.

"Looking back at Michigan before [head coach Jim] Harbaugh got there, they've progressed so much," he said. "That has a lot to do with the coaching staff he put together. They have NFL experience. Michigan is on the rise and I can definitely see them being a national title contender within the next two years or so."

Though he's yet to establish substantial communication with 5-star Wolverines quarterback commit Dylan McCaffrey, Black is looking for a situation much like what Michigan is developing on its depth chart.

"I definitely want to play with a pro-style QB. That's just my preference," he said. 

McCaffrey is rated No. 1 overall among pro-style passers in the 2017 composite rankings. Brandon Peters, a Wolverines freshman who enrolled early, was No. 6 at the position in 2016's composite rankings and earned recognition as a U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year finalist.

Notre Dame

Black is searching for well-rounded universities and believes it's difficult to contend with Notre Dame in that department. He pointed to the school's blend of education, career development and football tradition as main motivating factors to feature it as a favorite.

"Their academics are great and the networking is global," he said. "From a football aspect, they're always top 10 in the country, they pass the ball a lot and the coaching staff does a great job."

His interest also arises from the Fighting Irish's unique scheduling situation. Black knows a career at Notre Dame would include a widespread slate of opponents, along with the national spotlight. 

"I like that they're independent because you get to play teams from the ACC, Pac-12 and all over the place," he said. "That's definitely a plus."

Stanford

In his search for an academic fit, Black acknowledges Stanford has few peers on the recruiting trail.

"It's like the Harvard of the West Coast," he said.

He journeyed to Palo Alto in late February for a junior-day event, gaining a positive sense of the school's community.

"When I was out there, I really enjoyed the atmosphere," Black said. "They were very welcoming and I can definitely tell that I'm a priority for them. They haven't offered many receivers. I like their pro-style offense and think that could be a good fit for me."

Stanford signed No. 3 pro-style passer KJ Costello in February and, last month landed a commitment from coveted Georgia quarterback Davis Mills. Rated No. 4 among pro-style prospects in the 2017 rankings, Mills developed a connection with Black early in high school.

They teamed up as freshmen competitors in a youth All-American game, maintaining contact since. Mills and Black attended Stanford's junior day together and their rapport could play a big role in this recruitment.

"I have a great relationship with Davis and he's definitely on me right now to go to Stanford," Black said.

UCLA

The Bruins present another legitimate landing spot on the West Coast. Along with pleasant weather and Pac-12 competition, Black pointed directly at UCLA's starting quarterback as motivation to explore the program further.

Josh Rosen, rated the No. 1 overall quarterback recruit in 2015, largely lived up to immense hype as a true freshman in Los Angeles. He completed 60 percent of pass attempts for 3,670 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Viewed long term as a potential top-tier NFL draft pick, Rosen may ultimately be tempted to depart college early in 2018. Regardless of how that dynamic plays out, Black is compelled by the possibility of running routes for one of the country's premier young passers. 

"They throw the ball a lot with Josh Rosen, so any receiver should be interested," he said. "If I was to go there, I could get at least a year in with him."

Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.