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The Indiana Daily Student

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4-star quarterback recruit talks IU football

Sports Filler

Bishop Sullivan Catholic quarterback Tyler DeSue has one season of high school football left before the 4-star dual-threat quarterback decides where he will play his college ball.

The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native received an offer from IU on Jan. 22 and has almost exactly a year to explore his options before he signs his letter of intent.

With IU earning a 2017 commitment from quarterback Nick Tronti, Florida’s Mr. Football, on Tuesday, the Hoosiers are hitting the position hard. IU does not yet have a quarterback commit in its class of 2018.

DeSue is ranked 135th in espn.com’s Top 300 for the class of 2018.

According to 247 Sports, the six-foot-one quarterback is ranked as the 12th-best dual-threat quarterback in his class and 307th overall.

The Indiana Daily Student was able to talk with DeSue by phone just a few days after receiving his offer.

DeSue talked about his uncle Tony DeSue, who played collegiate football at Clemosn, as well as IU quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson, who is DeSue’s main recruiter on the IU coaching staff.

IDS: What made you start to play football?

DeSue: I’ve just always been around it. My uncle played at Clemson, and my dad ran track and played football in high school too.

We’ve always been competitive in my family, and we’re all pretty athletic so I picked it up pretty easily.

IDS: You’ve probably watched a lot of your uncle’s college tapes then?

DeSue: Actually that’s one of my biggest regrets. I haven’t seen him play any college ball, just his high school stuff.

IDS: Well, obviously the recruiting process can be long and grueling, so what are the best parts and what are the worst parts about being a recruit of your caliber?

DeSue: It’s been long. I think it’s been long because I was getting interest early and got my first offer when I was 12 or 13 years old.

I’m just ready to make a decision. I don’t want to have to wait another year. It’s frustrating sometimes.

But at the same time, I’ve made some really great connections because of it. I’ve seen what kind of doors can open and what kind of future I can have with football and past college. Not a lot of people have that.

IDS: Are academics a real focus for you and your family?

DeSue: Oh yeah. I’d say the most important thing for me and where I’m going to school is can I live there?

Where it’s at is pretty important to me. Then the second thing is academics and then athletics.

I know I have to look at what I can do after football because football won’t last forever.

IDS: When it comes to your caliber, you have four stars, but lately we’ve been seeing guys who were two stars finding success in some big games. What does your rating mean to you?

DeSue: It doesn’t mean that much. There are guys ranked way higher than me and then guys ranked way higher than those guys.

But to me, the numbers they put on kids is ridiculous. None of it matters if you can’t get on a field and produce.

Then it’s just a number. I find stars to be pointless most of the time.

IDS: You’re from Virginia, and you’ve taken visits to West Virginia and Miami. What do those programs have to offer and what is it like around those schools?

DeSue: Miami is so big. It doesn’t even really feel like a college. The culture there is just so different. I can’t really put it into words. Then West Vrignia — people around there eat and breathe West Virginia Football. They live it. It’s pretty crazy.

IDS: IU made you an offer a few days ago. How did all of that come to fruition?

DeSue: Well, I had talked to them during the season, but I didn’t think it would get this serious this fast. Shawn Watson called me, and it’s funny because I was best friends with his grandson when we were younger.

Coach Watson’s daughter is his mom, but they moved away to San Diego because his dad is a Navy SEAL. That was pretty cool.

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