Ryan Middleton, the 5-foot-8, 177-pound running back from Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla., is still awaiting his first offer while being recruited by North Carolina, Boston College, Miami, Tennessee, Washington State, Nebraska and Iowa State.
"My top three right now are Boston College, North Carolina and Miami, in no order," said Middleton, who reports a 4.4 forty time. "I've been getting a lot of letters from them and they all have been in contact with my dad (Andre Smith).
"I went up to BC in November for an unofficial visit," he said. "I got to meet the coaching staff and take a tour of the campus. I really liked the place a lot. The coaches were all really cool.
"My dad's been talking to all the BC coaches and they said they want to see me before they offer. They're coming out here sometime by the end of spring, I'm just not sure of the exact date right now. I'm hoping to see an offer then.
"I also really like North Carolina a lot," Middleton said. "They're looking at me for slot back. They are also coming down to see me this spring. I haven't been to the campus. I want to take a visit there for sure.
"North Carolina is a really young team that is up-and-coming," he said. "They are getting really good. I like their new coach, Butch Davis. He's a great coach and I think he's going to do a lot with that program.
"I like Miami too," said Middleton, who benches 315 pounds, squats 475 and power cleans 245. "The offensive coordinator came and talked to my coach at school. He said they really liked me but needed to check out my tape.
"The Hurricanes are just a great overall team," he added. "They have a new coach (Randy Shannon) who is doing a lot to bring them back to where they once were. They are a pretty young team too.
"I went to Miami last year for a visit and really liked it. The campus is really nice. The facilities were great and I got to see some classes too.
"My biggest strength is my vision on the field," Middleton said. "I'm able to make the right cuts and right decisions under pressure. I really want to work on my balance and just overall getting better. Everyone can get better."
Middleton reports a 3.08 core GPA and scored a 750 on the SAT, which he plans to retake.