Donovan, we wanted to get a recruiting update from you. First of all, I hear you went on a visit to Tennessee recently. How did that go?
"It was real nice. I enjoyed the hospitality the most. Of course, they are going to be nice and everything, but they showed great hospitality."
Was that your first official visit?
"Yes sir."
Who is coming up next?
"I have Georgia this coming weekend."
Do you have five visits coming up?
"Actually, I'm probably going to end up taking four. I've got Georgia Tech Jan. 10th, and Mississippi State Jan. 17th."
So would those be your top four?
"Actually, Georgia Tech isn't, but I couldn't take a trip to Auburn because they are going to be bowling the weekend I was going."
So you have three leaders then?
"I have a top five. They are in no real order: Mississippi State, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and Auburn."
Is distance from home going to play into your decision on where to go to school?
"Not really. The program is really what I am looking at, so location is not really a problem."
Have you been to MSU unofficially?
"Yes sir. I went to Junior Day."
Which Mississippi State coach is recruiting you?
"Coach (Glenn) Davis."
What do you think about him?
"He's a good guy. I think he must think highly of me if he is trying to bring me in to protect his position, you know?"
Yeah. What do you think about the coaching changes that just happened at Mississippi State?
"Well, I believe coach Sherrill is a wise man. I think they will try to bring in the best people for the program. I have no doubt that he will find good replacements to bring in."
Are you curious?
"Yeah, I am. I was wondering whether they would bring in a running coordinator or a passing one."
Which would you prefer?
"Oh, I'm a passing guy. I like to get the ball down the field quickly."
Really? So would you say your strength is pass blocking?
"Yeah, I love pass blocking. Don't get me wrong, I can run block. But I like pass blocking the best."
So, you would prefer that the new offensive coordinator be a passing type guy?
"Yeah, that would help my decision for Mississippi State. I just like a passing offense. That's the type of offense I like to be a part of."
What do coaches say about your physical skills as a tackle?
"Well, I'm not really that strong for my size, so I believe it would probably be my decisiveness. I try to guess where the guy might be going so I can block him quicker."
Do you know any players at State personally?
"Otis Riddley. And I met Jerious (Norwood) and Dapoo (Darren Williams). I met both of them at the summer extravaganza in Jackson. They are great guys. I know Monte (Collins) and I played against (Kevin) Dockery."
Is early playing time going to play into your decision at all on where you sign?
"Like any guy, I would like to play early, but if the season rolls around and I'm not ready then I don't have a problem redshirting or just sitting out those first few games until I got ready to play."
Well, I'm sure all of these schools have offered you? You probably have more than you can count.
"Yeah, I think it was 36 the last time I counted."
I know you haven't committed to anybody yet but do you have a school that is your favorite so far - anybody you have in mind stronger than the others?
"Uhhhh, not really...... my top five is probably as narrowed down as I'm going to get it right now."
OK. You sound like a great guy and I wish you all the luck in your decision.
"Thanks and thanks for calling."
Gene Swindoll is the owner of Gene's Page (http://mississippistate.theinsiders.com), the unofficial source for Mississippi State sports and Mississippi high school sports on the internet. You can contact him by email at swindoll@genespage.com.