B/R Recruiting Notebook: 5-Star Taking His Time, 4-Stars Plan Visits
The good news for North Torrance High School fans in Torrance, California: Mique Juarez is 100 percent focused on getting his football team as far as possible. And as a dual-threat quarterback and recognized, 5-star linebacker, that's news that will make many Californians smile.
The bad news for the recruiting world: It's going to have to wait for Juarez to choose his future college destination. At least for now.
Juarez, a statistics-driving quarterback at North Torrance who also is ranked the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker and No. 17 overall player, said on Sunday that recruiting is taking something of a back seat for the time being. The one-time USC pledge, who decommitted on Oct. 13, said his process is wide open and that he doesn't have a timetable on anything except helping North Torrance win a state championship.
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"I stand [equal] with everyone," Juarez said of the schools recruiting him. "Right now, all of the colleges, I'm interested in. I'm focused on school and my ACT so I can graduate early."
Juarez, who has nearly 20 reported offers, has plans on taking the ACT Saturday. Perhaps after that, recruiting can become something of a priority. Juarez has multiple schools after him heavily, including UCLA, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and others.
The winning school ultimately will get a do-it-all player who can be beneficial on both sides of the ball. In addition to being one of the nation's best outside linebackers, Juarez is showing his skills at quarterback, accounting for 20 rushing and 17 passing touchdowns this season. Two weeks ago, Juarez put on a show by scoring seven touchdowns—four via the pass, two via the run and another on a 90-yard kickoff return—against Centennial High School out of Compton, California.
His playmaking ability is no joke, which is why he's such a wanted athlete. Unfortunately for college coaches, Juarez is adamant about taking his time with recruiting.
"No visits are set yet," he said. "I'm still looking into who to consider."
One thing Juarez does know is that he has an idea of what to look for in a program. In addition to playing for a team that competes each game, Juarez said he wants to be around like-minded players—guys who have the same goals as him on the football field.
"I'm looking for brotherhood," Juarez said. "I'm looking for people who want to get better [as a team]. No individuals.
Baylor? Out of state? Where will WR Duvernay go?
Sachse, Texas, wide receiver Devin Duvernay hears it all the time: He's a Baylor commit waiting to happen.
When Donovan Duvernay, Devin's twin brother, committed to Baylor on Sept. 21, fans already had Devin penciled to wear Baylor green and gold next season. After all, the two are extremely close and have been athletic teammates since they were 4.
Devin, however, isn't one to completely tip his hat on his future. He's also one who is making it a priority to weigh all of his options—particularly the out-of-state schools. Duvernay has taken official visits to Ohio State and Alabama, and this weekend could be Oklahoma's turn for an official visit.
"Right now, I'm just slimming everything down. I've got about six or seven schools I'm looking at," Duvernay said. "I'm taking my officials and trying to make my decision by either the beginning of next month or the end of this month."
Duvernay said he's a fan of Oklahoma's new offense and its offensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley. He's taken an unofficial visit to Norman, Oklahoma, and this weekend's game atmosphere is expected to be electric, as the Sooners host Texas Tech's high-powered offense.
Last week, Duvernay visited Alabama and defined it as "life-changing." He was a fan of the area atmosphere and the overall campus.
"It was a great experience; I loved it," he said. "I had a good talk with [head] Coach [Nick] Saban. I know that [wide receivers] Coach [Billy] Napier is recruiting me really hard."
As for Baylor, Duvernay said he's "always liked Baylor," and that hasn't changed. Baylor is expected to receive an official, and LSU, Ole Miss, Arizona State and TCU are candidates for that fifth and final official. LSU actually was supposed to be Duvernay's first official, but he had to postpone it.
If Baylor is his final choice, he will team up alongside his brother. The idea of being teammates in football and track is intriguing to both brothers, as they are track stars at Sachse. Devin won the 100-meter dash at the Texas Class 6A state meet with a blazing time of 10.27 seconds.
"I've felt strong about them for a while," he said of Baylor, "but at the end of the day, it's still my decision and wherever I feel I should be. Going there is a possibility, but I'm exploring the options that I have. I want to make sure I make the right decision."
ATH White taking his time, 'getting the pros and cons'
Consider Springhill, Louisiana, athlete Devin White as another athlete not in a rush to make any major decisions regarding his recruiting.
The 4-star athlete, praised for his ability to line up at multiple spots at 6'1" and 255 pounds, said he is still taking his time with his process and doesn't plan on making any major decisions any time soon. White is looking more and more like someone who will make his decision on national signing day.
"I'm just visiting schools and getting the pros and cons right now," he said.
LSU, Alabama and Florida State have been places White's visited since the beginning of fall. His trip to Florida State the weekend of Oct. 10 was an official visit, one in which he gave high marks.
"A 10," White said, grading the visit.
White doesn't have any set plans for his next official, but LSU, Alabama and Arkansas are schools that he is strongly considering. He is an athlete who can play running back, wide receiver or even an H-back on offense, and linebacker, safety or even a rush defensive end on the other side of the ball. Few players his size have 4.49-second speed in the 40-yard dash.
The school that gets the talented athlete is still to be determined, but White has an idea of what he wants in a winning program.
"It's all about personal relationship," he said. "It's all about whatever school feels like a family to me and who I can trust."
Where will Wisconsin look to replace RB Williams?
Ohio State retook the top spot in the latest 247Sports team rankings after 4-star, New London, North Carolina, running back Antonio Williams committed on Sunday. The one-time Wisconsin commit told 247Sports' Bill Kurelic that Ohio State was a "better situation" for him and his family.
That's great news for Ohio State, but what does that mean for Wisconsin? The Badgers still have 4-star, all-purpose back A.J. Taylor committed, as Taylor is the top-ranked player from Missouri. But going forward, look for Wisconsin to try to land a second running back.
One player to keep an eye on is Theo Anderson, a 3-star back from Largo, Florida. Anderson has nine reported offers, including Wisconsin, and he's been in contact with a few members of the Badgers coaching staff. Anderson also has offers from Pitt, West Virginia and Central Florida.
And then there's 4-star back Robert Washington out of Mount Holly, North Carolina. Washington committed to Syracuse in April but decommitted in August and has a lot of reported offers on the table, including one from the Badgers. Playing in the Big Ten could be a good look for the 5'10", 215-pound back.
Sleeper alert: Texas RB goes for almost 400
The Colony, Texas, produced NBA star Deron Williams. It also has 3-star running back Khalil Banks, who only has five offers and none of them being Power Five. After last week, look for Banks to be a blip on the radar of a few more colleges.
Banks rushed 26 times for 398 yards and six touchdowns in a win against Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas. Through eight games this season, Banks has rushed for 1,610 yards and 23 touchdowns. He is averaging better than seven yards per carry.
Per Rivals.com, Banks has offers from Colorado State, Arkansas State, Fresno State, Army and Lamar. Banks told Michael Florek of the Dallas Morning News that Colorado State is his favorite thus far.
A 6'1", 205-pound running back, Banks also is receiving interest from Texas A&M, Arizona State, Arkansas, Kansas State, Purdue and Tennessee.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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