Editorโs note: Lathan Ransom is one of Southern Arizonaโs most sought-after high school football players. The Salpointe Catholic safety is documenting the recruiting process in a diary for the Star. This is his second entry.
Who wouldโve thought the skinny freshman defensive back with a broken collarbone would be making one of the most difficult decisions three summers later?
The last time I wrote to you guys, my family and I were flying back to Tucson from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following my visit to LSU โ and let me tell you, after seeing the beautiful green campus and Tiger Stadium, Louisiana has been on my mind. So much that I even wore LSU gloves to The Opening, which is a football camp for many of the top recruits in the nation.
LSU isnโt the only school Iโve been thinking about. There are four more and today, Iโm revealing my top five schools.
Before I do that, I would just like to thank all of the schools that recruited me since Day 1. Some of my first offers didnโt make the list, but Iโm indebted to the schools in the Pac-12 that kicked off my recruitment, especially because my pops and I grew up watching Pac-12 football. And believe me, there isnโt a bigger fan of Pac-12 football than my father.
Unfortunately, I didnโt include any Pac-12 schools, because the schools Iโm about to mention have everything the Pac-12 has to offer and more. If the NFL is in my future, I have to play at the biggest stage and be a part of some of the best defensive units in college football.
Why didnโt I include Arizona? Itโs nothing against the UA, but it always sort of irritated me because it wasnโt my first offer; Cal and ASU were. Iโm a Tucson kid and I played right down the street. When I say down the street, I really mean right down the street. Salpointe Catholic High School is a five-minute drive without traffic from Arizona Stadium. When I started getting offers from other schools, UA backed off a little bit. It is what it is.
Iโm loyal to the ones that recruited me the hardest, and after taking several visits and talking to several coaches Iโm ready to reveal the final five schools.
LSU: I couldnโt exclude the Tigers from this list. The school that is the self-proclaimed Defensive Back University (DBU) had a family atmosphere when I took a visit last month, and its reputation for sending defensive backs to the NFL is important to me. LSU defensive coordinator David Aranda is one of the best in the business and Iโd love to learn from a coach like him.
Texas: I took a visit to Texas this past weekend, and Iโve never been anywhere in the state of Texas so it was an eye-opening experience. Visiting a place like UT and hearing the coaches tell me how much they could use a player like me right away was a surreal experience. They donโt appreciate LSU taking the โDBUโ title, but Texas has the rรฉsumรฉ for it. And after talking to some of the players for hours, this is a place that I could call home for the next four years. The visit was what really pushed Texas into that top five.
Oklahoma: What can I say about OU? This is a program that shipped out back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners and the No. 1 picks in the NFL draft. This is a program that has sat at the top of the Big 12 since I was in middle school. Getting an offer from a team that competes for the College Football Playoff every season is a huge blessing, and the schoolโs winning culture attracts me. Itโs a team known for its offense, but I would love to be an addition to the defense and help OU win the national championship.
Notre Dame: I could see myself playing for the Fighting Irish because theyโre the only school on this list that resembles Salpointe Catholic. Notre Dame is a university that will prepare me not just for the NFL, but life after football. Academically, Notre Dame is one of the best in the nation, and you have to be the best both on and off the field there. Plus, have you seen Brian Kellyโs swagger? That man is always dressed in a dapper suit. A coach with style is my kind of guy.
Ohio State: I was on the Ohio State campus for a few hours and it left a huge impression on my father and I. Ohio State is a school that, like the others, competes for a national championship every single season. I had never been to Columbus, Ohio, and the campus is connected to the city so the culture there is second to none. I canโt wait to go visit OSU again in a few weeks and talk to the current Buckeyes about what itโs like playing in the Big Ten.
Thatโs my final list. Respect my decision.
