Academics are top priority for McCord

Most student-athletes want to go to a school that has a good tradition of winning, a great coaching staff and nice facilities. They want a place where they can have fun, enjoy themselves and improve to get to the next level. When it comes to Jefferson high school junior defensive end Tyriq McCord, another attribute is the top priority.

"I am all about education and academics when looking at a program. It has to be a good school academically for me to look at them. I also want a great coaching staff that makes me feel comfortable. I am open to leaving the state to find the right place for me. I have no problem with it, but my mother thinks otherwise. It may be a problem for her. In the end, if it's a top academic school and a place where I can grow as a person, she will be behind it."

Off the field, the 6-foot-3, 222 lb defensive end is very impressive with his honors, achievements and commitment to success in the classroom. When he is on the field, his mind is focused on the game and task at hand.

"I'm just ready to roll on the field. I love getting after it between the lines. I am very intense and play with a great deal of passion. My junior year was great but I still got a ton of room to improve. I am working hard this offseason to prepare myself for a big senior season. I want to get stronger and quicker off the ball and continue to gain offers from the top schools. I play a little like Terrell Suggs. I love watching him! I watch him all the time and I like how he plays. He is a linebacker and a defensive end and that's what I want to play. He plays fearless and that's how I play."

With his recruitment just getting started, McCord doesn't have a leader, but he is hearing a great deal from some big-time schools. Some of the top schools from the ACC and SEC, as well as a school right down the road, are showing a ton of interest.

"USF is all over me. I hear from them all the time since they are right down the street. Florida contacts me a lot and I am interested in them. I would like to see more of Alabama, Miami, and Florida State, too. Georgia contacts me a good deal. They came a lot to see my teammate this year, so they were always asking about me. Georgia Tech is also up there on my list. They are a great academic school and I would like an offer from them. I wasn't able to go on many visits or see many games this year, so the attention has been nice. I watched a lot of football on TV, but I was mainly focused on our team. I didn't want my recruitment to take away from our goals of winning a championship and improving as a team. I also put a lot of my focus on the classroom and taking care of business in there."

McCord lists offers from Florida, Mississippi, Notre Dame, South Carolina, USF, Texas Tech, USC, Rutgers, and Oregon. He feels Miami will be offering soon.