Seeing is Believing

While remaining open, D.J. Adams says that he likes Maryland slightly over Clemson, Auburn and Georgia Tech - "but that's probably because I've been to those schools." Adams also says he really likes Notre Dame and plans to visit the Irish later this month. Of those schools, neither Auburn nor Georgia Tech have offered. "I love the tradition at Notre Dame. I know last season was a rebuilding..."

D.J. Adams (the D.J. stands for Dwayne, Jr.), the 5-foot-10, 212 pound running back from Norcross, Ga., finished his junior season with 205 carries for 1,462 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had three receptions for 96 yards and two scores, helping lead his team to an 11-2 record and the second round of the playoffs.

"I have good speed and vision," Adams said. "I'm balanced and have good footwork. I can hit the hole hard and can break tackles well. I'm a power/speed/bruising kind of back."

Adams says he can bench an impressive 375 pounds, power clean 315 and squat 565. He also has a 32-inch vertical jump and runs a 4.55 forty.

"I'd like to get faster overall," he said. "I'm working to improve upon my yards after contact as well. I lift three times a week and run everyday. I think I train pretty hard and I'm always doing something."

Adams says he has 17 scholarship offers and he hasn't begun narrowing down his list yet. "I really don't have a top five," he said. "Every time I think I like one school someone else comes into the picture. I'm still pretty open."

While remaining open, Adams admits that he likes Maryland slightly over Clemson, Auburn and Georgia Tech - "but that's probably because I've been to those schools."

He also says he really likes Notre Dame and plans to visit the Irish later this month. Of those schools, neither Auburn nor Georgia Tech have offered. "Notre Dame just offered me last week," he said. "They've been sending me a ton of mail for a while though.

"I love the tradition at Notre Dame," he said. "I know last season was a rebuilding year and coach Charlie Weis did a good job putting together a strong recruiting class. Notre Dame is always a top program and everybody has them on their list no matter how they do. I'm going to their spring game later this month."

Adams already attended junior days at Maryland and Clemson. "I liked the location of Maryland a lot," he said. "It's close to DC and that's the farthest north I've ever been. I see their program being on the rise and the coaches are great. They have a lot going for them. The weather there is also pretty good and I just had a good experience there."

He says the Terps are recruiting him the hardest.

"The Clemson Junior Day was good too," he said. "They have a winning program and the coaches are really nice. I loved how nice the campus was and I really got along well with the players there. The coaches seemed more like a brotherhood and it's not just a job for them. The coaches there know what they are talking about and coach Tommy Bowden is one of the best in the business."

Although Georgia Tech is only 15 minutes from Adams' home, the Yellow Jackets haven't offered him yet. "Distance isn't going to be a difference," he said. "It's really nice there though. They have a passing league that our high school always goes to so I've gotten to know the school pretty well. It's a really nice place.

"I talked to the defensive back coach (Giff Smith) and they seem pretty interested," he said. "But they haven't said anything specific about an offer. I did get a vibe from them that they would."

Adams admits that he's a bit baffled by the fact that neither Georgia nor Georgia Tech have offered him. "I know Georgia is a little different and they've got a heavy arsenal of running backs already," he said. "But I have wondered why they haven't offered yet. I really don't know. That's a good question."

The other school that Adams has visited which hasn't offered yet is Auburn. "I went to a camp there last summer with my team and liked it," he said. "I went back there this year and I know the campus pretty well already and feel comfortable there. I love the offense they run and they just always seem to play top SEC ball."

Adams says that as a youngster, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee were his favorite programs (none of which have offered). "I like the SEC and I've got lots of family in those areas," he said. "Also, I like how Georgia and Tennessee run the ball and that's definitely something I'm gonna be looking at."

Another important factor for Adams is academics. "I want a school with a good journalism major," he said. "They have to have a good grad rate too. I'm not too concerned about the team record because that changes all the time. I also want coaches that I get along with and really click with. I'm the kind of guy when you tell me something once I'll get it."

While Adams insists that distance from home won't be a factor, he says that location will still make a difference. "I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere," he said. "If I'm not in a big city, I'd at least like to be near one."

Although Adams remains very open now, he says he plans to make his decision this summer. "I want to decide sometime in July," he said. "I really want to focus on my season and not let recruiting get too crazy. I don't want it being a distraction on me or my teammates."

Some of the other schools that have offered Adams are Boston College, Arkansas, Rutgers, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State and several others.

He reports a 2.4 core GPA and an 850 SAT, which he plans to retake.