Recruiting Report: Shell enjoys 'Tobacco Road' rivalry
Friday, March 18, 2011
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One of the most heavily recruited football players in the WPIAL over the past decade recently attended what he called "the most exciting sporting event I've ever been to."
It was a Duke-North Carolina basketball game.
Rushel Shell, the star junior running back at Hopewell High School, attended "junior day" March 5 at North Carolina. Like most colleges, North Carolina invites some junior prospects to visit their campus on a particular date. Part of the day was attending the Duke at North Carolina basketball game.
"Just that [Duke-North Carolina] rivalry and all the fans. It was something," Shell said. "The student section made it even crazier, with all the chants."
Shell plays basketball at Hopewell and also plans to play AAU basketball again this spring for the Crons organization. He has played AAU basketball for a number of years.
Shell went to North Carolina with his father and younger brother. Pitt had its "junior day" the same day, but Shell cautioned not to read too much into his North Carolina trip, even though the Tar Heels are one of his five favorites.
"It was just a coincidence type of thing," Shell said. "I was free at the time and North Carolina wanted me to come down. The game was going on, too, so I said why not? It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Shell has scholarship offers from colleges across the country and said he most likely will not make a college decision before the start of his senior season. He does have a top-five list, though.
"Right now, it's Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Pitt and Oregon," Shell said.
Shell had always said Ohio State was one of his favorite schools, but the Buckeyes are no longer in the top five. Neither is Penn State.
"I have no leader," Shell said. "Right now, I just want to hang out and be a kid. When May comes along, I plan on sitting down with coaches, talking to them and narrowing things down. Maybe midway through the season, I'll commit somewhere."