Free from Texting

Brett Nagel, ranked No. 55 in the Midwest by Scout.com (No. 16 outside linebacker nationwide), still denies a favorite, but says he's strongly considering visiting Iowa, Boston College, Stanford, Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Colorado. All of them have offered (13 total). "I'd like to find a place where I'll be able to play and that's really the main thing for me..."

Brett Nagel, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound three-star linebacker/tight end from Lemont Township, Ill., says he still hasn't narrowed down his list yet but plans to do so soon.

"I haven't really narrowed it down at all," Nagel said. "I haven't set up any visits yet and I'm still open. I was planning on committing before the season but that's not gonna happen. I'm not really set on any schools yet, but I won't wait too long."

Nagel, ranked No. 55 in the Midwest by Scout.com (No. 16 outside linebacker nationwide), still denies a favorite, but says he's strongly considering visiting Iowa, Boston College, Stanford, Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Colorado. All of them have offered (13 total).

"I'd like to find a place where I'll be able to play and that's really the main thing for me," he said. "The location or distance don't really matter to me."

The only camp that Nagel attended this summer was Notre Dame's, however the Irish have not offered. "I'm not sure where I'm at with them," Nagel said. "I'm not gonna wait for them to offer."

The school that has been recruiting Nagel hardest over the summer was Purdue. "Since texting stopped, it's hard to tell who's recruiting the most, but before then I'd get a message from Purdue every day."

Text messages from coaches have been banned by the NCAA as of Aug. 1. "It was an effective way of communicating but it was also overwhelming. I'd be getting so many messages that I wasn't sure who I had replied to. It got pretty confusing."

Although he hasn't scheduled any official visits yet, he has already been to Iowa, Boston College, Stanford, Purdue and Northwestern unofficially.

"Iowa is recruiting me at tight end and they have great tight end tradition," he said. "They send a lot of tight ends to the NFL and I really like (tight end) coach Eric Johnson. He's a great guy and so is their head coach Kirk Ferentz. My dad and I both really liked him. I also like Iowa's fan base and the football games there are a big deal."

Another coach that made a positive impression on Nagel is Stanford's new head coach, Jim Harbaugh. "He's really intense and I like that a lot," he said. "Their education is second to none and they have a lot of young guys so they'll be getting better. This year is probably gonna be a rebuilding year for them."

The team that Nagel has the highest expectations for is Boston College. "I think they should do really well," he said. "Matt Ryan was awesome last year and he's a great quarterback, so I expect them to be a top team this year."

Township High School opens their season this Friday (Aug. 24) against Hope High School in Chicago.

Nagel reports a 4.2 core GPA and a 32 ACT.