Marcus Forston, the 6-foot-2.5, 305 pound defensive tackle from Miami Northwestern High School, says his offer count is now at 23, with the latest rides coming from USC and LSU.
"I got an offer from USC last Wednesday (April 4)," said Forston, who finished his junior season with 92 tackles and 20 sacks. "I haven't talked to them yet. Coach (Pete) Carroll called my coach (Roland Smith) and told him they wanted to offer me. Coach Carroll said that the only reason he can see coming out to Florida to offer is when he finds someone who will be going to the NFL.
"I was like 'wow', that's really cool that he said that," he said. "My coach was really happy too. He told me that there are a lot of kids out there that wish USC would offer them. It's such a prestigious school and the tradition there is unbelievable. They are definitely going to be one of my five (official) visits. That's about all I can say right now."
Forston says he is not ready to start narrowing things down, but did admit that along with USC, he will also be taking officials to LSU and Notre Dame. "I'm going to take an official to LSU too, probably after the season. They offered me about two weeks ago. I talked with Coach (Earl) Lane. He said that LSU would be the perfect place for me because they're losing two tackles this year, which leaves the door wide open for me to start as a true freshman.
"I went to their junior day already and I got to see the campus and get a feel for the area," said Forston, who claim to run a 4.9 forty. "I really had a nice time. The school was beautiful and everybody was so nice. I'm going back for sure.
"I'm also taking an official to Notre Dame," he added. "They offered me about a month ago. I talked to Coach (Charlie) Weis about how they need a monster on their line who has speed and that I was his guy. I talk with Coach (Bernie) Parmalee (tight ends) a lot too."
Forston said that there are two things he's looking for in a school. "I want a college that will let me start right away, as a true freshman. I really just want to know that I'll get a fair shot, just as much as the seniors. That way, it's the best man on the field.
"Getting my degree is also really important," said Forston, who plans on majoring in Criminal Justice. "The average time for a player in the NFL is four years. That's not very long. I want to make sure I have an education to fall back on after football."
Some of the other schools courting the Miami native include Clemson, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Minnesota, Nebraska and Auburn. He denies a leader.
"Miami, Florida and Florida State are high on my list too," he said. "I'll probably not take officials to them because I'm familiar with them already. I don't want anyone to think I have ruled them out or anything, because I haven't. They're all great teams."
With no plans to commit anytime soon, Forston says he wants to concentrate on his studies and the season first. "I'm a workhorse and I don't like to lose, so I'm taking my time here. I want to make sure I pick the best place for me.
"My biggest strength is that I know the game," he said. "Some guys are good players, but not smart. I'm both. It's just as much a mental game as a physical one. I need to work on communicating with my teammates a little better. Sometimes I forget to do that."
Forston reports a 3.0 core GPA and is taking his SAT for the first time on April 14.