Anyanwu helped lead the Bengals to an 8-3 mark this year, losing to Anoka 27-22 in the Section 7AAAAA finals. He completed 115 of 161 passes for 925 yards and five scores. Anyanwu was even more effective as a runner as he carried the ball 199 times for 11
Duke Anyanwu, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior quarterback/wide receiver/athlete from Blaine (MN) High, has received four scholarship offers and is hoping to add to that list. Anyanwu, who is also a standout basketball player, attended the Minnesota Under the Lights football camp in June and was at several Gopher home games versus Miami of Ohio and Iowa.
Anyanwu helped lead the Bengals to an 8-3 mark this year, losing to Anoka 27-22 in the Section 7AAAAA finals. He completed 115 of 161 passes for 925 yards and five scores. Anyanwu was even more effective as a runner as he carried the ball 199 times for 1130 yards with 18 touchdowns.
Anyanwu recently talked to GopherHole.com about the very latest on his recruitment in an exclusive interview.
GH: I had stopped by the Bloomington Jefferson Jamboree the other week to watch you, but you were on your official visit to South Dakota State. How did the visit go?
Duke Anyanwu: The official was really nice. I got to feel the team atmosphere in how they are doing things over there.
GH: Have you made plans for any other official visits yet?
Duke Anyanwu: I am going to take an official to Minnesota on the 13th of January. I have an official to the Air Force on the weekend of the 19th and an official to UNI on the weekend of the 6th.
GH: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Duke Anyanwu: One of the coaches came and watched me play basketball a couple of weeks ago. They want to see what I can do at the H (back) position and hopefully, an offer will come soon.
GH: Is that something that would appeal to you playing that spot? Do you know much about that position? I know that you have played wide receiver in the past.
Duke Anyanwu: It is like a blocking tight end/receiver who can split outside and make plays outside as well. I am open to that. I am open to anything that helps the team win.
GH: How many offers are you up to right now?
Duke Anyanwu: I have four right now. Air Force, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa and North Dakota. Akron and NIU (Northern Illinois) are in intense talks about it right now
GH: Are you making to make any other visits besides those three? Would you take your fifth (the maximum) official visit?
Duke Anyanwu: I might take that fifth one depending on what NIU wants to do. There are in a bowl game still, so that couldn’t do full recruiting, so we’ll see how things go.
GH: Are you leaning any way yet or are you still pretty wide-open?
Duke Anyanwu: I am still pretty open. I’m not going to sway any way and I am closing my options up to other places.
GH: What position are the other schools looking at you playing in college?
Duke Anyanwu: What I am hearing from other schools is tight end, defensive end and outside linebacker and that is the main positions I ma hearing.
GH: Do you have a preference at all?
Duke Anyanwu: I love offense, but I am open to play defense.
GH: Have you ever played defense?
Duke Anyanwu: I have. Sophomore year, I played outside linebacker, so that was a good experience for me.
GH: What are you hoping to get out of the Minnesota visit? What are you hoping to learn?
Duke Anyanwu: Hopefully, I’ll get acquainted with some of the guys. A couple of good buddies of mine are going to the Gophers already like Maxx Williams, Philip Nelson and Mitch Leidner. I am good buddies with all those guys and hang out with them a bunch. Hopefully, I’ll get acquainted with the players who are already on the roster and hope to get the offer.
GH: Have you talked to them and have they tried to sway you at all?
Duke Anyanwu: Yeah, Mitch and all those guys, they do a pretty job with that, but at the end of the day, hopefully, I’ll get that offer and I’ll decide from there.