Bruton a hot commodity in recruiting race
John Cummings, Sports Editor
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Miamisburg junior David Bruton had a crazy spring.
After college coaches got a chance to catch Bruton on tape in the off season, they spent the spring trying to catch him home.
Bruton, who has been bombarded by calls from online recruiting Web sites for feature stories, hasn’t taken the time to “Google” his own name, though.
“It is very weird,” Bruton said of the plethora of stories floating around the Internet on him. “It is something that I never thought would happen.
“My family checks the stuff online, I am trying not to get into the hype.”
The hype this spring was Bruton.
Notre Dame is at the top of his list, and the Irish are just waiting for Bruton’s ACT scores (he took the test last Saturday) before making an offer. Wisconsin has all ready offered Bruton and is next on the list followed by Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State.
In addition to Wisconsin, Indiana, Cincinnati, Duke and UConn have all sent paper offers to Bruton. Vanderbilt made a verbal offer and Notre Dame is still waiting on ACT scores.
Add to that the list of schools wanting to get him on campus before they may make an offer, and the list continues to grow.
“Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Pitt, Iowa, Louisville, Illinois, Nebraska and West Virginia all would like to see him on campus first,” Miamisburg coach Tim Lewis said. “They want him to come to one of their camps first.
“It is one of those, if you show us what you did on tape in person, we’ll offer.”
Bruton, though, all ready has a full dance card for June.
On the 19th he is off to Illinois before going to Pitt and Michigan between June 20 and 24. On the 27th he is off to Columbus and on June 29 he heads to South Bend.
The camp in South Bend may come about the same time he receives his ACT scores. An offer at the camp at Notre Dame would allow Bruton to do what he wants to do.
Commit early.
“I want to get it taken care of before the season,” Bruton said. “I want to just be able to play football.”
Once May rolled around, Miamisburg High School became a revolving door of college coaches looking at Bruton and classmate Jordan McNeal.
“We’ve had some years that it has been kind of boring,” Lewis said. “This year, it was like a revolving door. There were times this year that I was walking one coach out at the same time Dave Bogenschutz was walking another coach back.
“It is fun at first and then it gets to the point where it is more intense. Every time somebody comes in, the kids know about it. They see someone with a Ohio State shirt on, it spreads fast in the school and it turns out to be a distraction for the kids.”
Bruton has been sold on Notre Dame since being invited up for the annual spring game.
During the day, Notre Dame coach Ty Willingham pulled Bruton into his office, introduced Bruton and his family to his wife and had a long talk with him.
Bruton was the only recruit of the 55 at the game to have a conference with Willingham.
“It was exciting,” Bruton said. “The whole way up there it was kind of stormy, but when we got to Notre Dame, the sun was out and hitting the golden dome É it was like a homecoming.
“It felt like home. I went in there ready to accept and offer and meeting coach Willingham backed up my decision if they do offer me.”
Bruton also had a busy April as he went on the road visiting some of the schools he was interested in.
He also had to make a stop at Illinois to meet with National recruiting guru Tom Leming of ESPN.
“I didn’t know what to look for,” Bruton said. “Wherever I go is going to be home for the next four or five years so it had to be something that I liked.
“Each one was a new experience. There was one place that I just felt like a number, but at Notre Dame the coaches came up to me and talked to me and it made me feel comfortable there. This is all new. I never have talked on the phone that much in my life. I feel like I was wanted by everybody.”
The recruiting race was something Bruton never thought about as a sophomore.
Bruton lettered by playing special teams, but most of his action came in the JV games on Saturday.
His goal for his junior year?
“I just wanted to play varsity football,” Bruton said.
That is one of the things that Lewis believes makes Bruton’s - and McNeal’s - story special.
“Both of them lettered as sophomores on special teams,” Lewis said. “That is one of the great things about this story.
“It shows that it can happen. Just because you play JV as a sophomore doesn’t mean you are not going to be a good football player. They both matured and when they got their opportunity, they took advantage of it.”
And, Lewis can see why colleges are after both Bruton and McNeal.
McNeal has started drawing more interest since he sprouted from 6-feet-2-inches to 6’4” during the off season.
“What makes David so recruitable is that he has the total package,” Lewis said. “He has 4.4 (40) speed, he is 6’3” and 185 pounds. He is an A student that has never been in trouble. He makes it easy for colleges to recruit because they look at him now and he is a free safety. In two or three years, he could possibly grow into an outside linebacker. He brings a lot to the table.
“Jordan had enough game highlights and game films that made colleges notice. He is our middle linebacker, he is tough between the tackles, but there still is a question of speed. The positive part is that he was 6’2” last year and now he is 6’4”. Now he becomes marketable because he may be a step slow at linebacker in Division I, but he will be a step fast as a defensive end, but he is going to have to go and show them what he can do at camps.”
The camps are just one of the many things that have changed in the recruiting world since Lewis became a head coach.
“Ten years ago, you went to camp to learn more about football, and to pick things up,” Lewis said. “Now, the vast majority of camps are used only for recruits.
Read the rest of the story in the printed edition of the Miamisburg/West Carrollton News.
