Love Likes Cyclones

(This article originally appeared on iowastate.rivals.com.)

Highly sought after Garland (Tex.) product Jermaine Love will use one of his official vists for a trip to Iowa State and said the Cyclones are still strong contenders for his services.

The no. 22 OLB on Rivals.com will visit Ames on the weekend of December 8, and that will place Dan McCarney's Cyclones in the category of schools that have officially hosted Love, along with Kansas State and Nebraska. He has made unofficial visits to both Texas Tech and Texas A&M. Love visited Lincoln Nebraska this weekend and attended the Texas/Nebraska game.

A visit to Manhattan in late September failed to launch the Wildcats in to Love's top tier of choices, despite an impressive meeting with top 'Cat Ron Prince. "He's a real cool guy, no doubt about it," said Love of Kansas State's first year head coach. "We met one on one, and he's real cool."

If deciding today, Love would face a close call between Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas Tech and Washington State, with Iowa State and Kansas State trailing close behind. However, with several weeks yet before the end of Texas football season, and Love's decision, those schools and many of the others which have offered are possibilities. Nebraska, Utah and Florida State may make late pushes, with the Utes and Huskers having recently offered, and the Seminoles expected to offer soon.

Wherever he attends, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound senior will come to college ahead of the game physically. Sporting an already rock-solid frame, and impressive speed for an OLB (4.48 at last summer's A&M camp), Love could be poised to make an immediate impact.

The chance to play early, however, is not on Love's list of selling points, and neither is the opportunity to play running back, which only Iowa State has offered. A wild game day atmosphere is number one on his wish list. "That's most important," Love added, "but I also want to go somewhere I feel at home, and somewhere with strong academics."

Love is coming off a 188-yards rushing, 15-tackle game versus district rival Rowlett. Now 2-1 in District 10, Love's Garland squad is in position to make a run at a district title in Texas' vaunted class 5A.