Well-rounded DE Ray Drew likes Auburn, but still wide open
Ray Drew (Thomas Country Central HS/ Thomasville, Ga.)
isn’t your typical high school recruit, which is clear to anyone who’s had a
conversation with him. The way he carries himself shows character beyond his
years. He’s got a slammed summer schedule, and that ranges from team camps to
individual camps, preaching at his church and going to family reunions and
becoming a better player every day.
“I’m going to be on the go a lot. I’ll be down in Tampa for
a family reunion, and I’m going to try and get over to check out USF. I’ve
gotten to quite a few campuses already, and having that opportunity to see
different things has really helped so far,” Drew said.
While many recruits like to trim down their list early,
Drew won’t be doing that. “I don’t have a Top 5 or Top 10 list. I’m still wide
open at this point. I’d like to make a list soon based on different things I’ve
seen at campuses with the pro’s and con’s and all that,” he said.
One of the bigger names at Big Cat Weekend, Drew is a hot
commodity on the recruiting trail. “I’m up to 29 offers, with Nebraska offering
yesterday.” He knows the recruiting process only comes once, and he’s going to
enjoy it while it’s here. “This is the only time in my life where I’ve been
really popular,” Drew laughs and continued, “If I’m ever lucky enough to get to
the NFL, I won’t get a choice to where I go, and this is different. I can soak
it up for all it’s worth. It’s important to not get caught up in all the hype
and do what’s right for me.” Drew also said he plans to carry out the process
until National Signing Day in February, which isn’t a surprise for a player who
is the top prospect in the state of Georgia.
Is Auburn a player for his services? “I like Auburn. Coach
Rock is the man. He’s a Lombardi Winner, and if you want to be great, you gotta
be coached by coaches who were great. They’ve got the whole indoor facility
coming, and they have a lot of plans in the works with expansion and stuff.
Family is a word that’s overused in college football, but Auburn shows it, and
you can tell that they really mean it.”
The Army All-American won’t name a leader anytime soon, but
it’s clear that Auburn is definitely being considered highly.
What does Drew want the most out of a school? “I don’t look
at football as the main thing. Academics are huge to me. They come before
football. I look at that, and the APR and graduation rates. At the same time, I
wouldn’t mind playing early. Any recruit who says they don’t want to play early
is a liar. No one wants to be on the sidelines, because you always want to be
on the field,” Drew said. There’s no doubt about everyone wanting to play
early, and with his superior size (6 foot 5, 243 lbs), it’ll be hard to keep
Drew off the field early, and he’s sure to make an impact on and off the field
wherever he ends up.
