Carter may be offered by the Gophers as soon as this week.
Torrodd Carter, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver from Westerville (OH) South, has been hearing from Minnesota for some time. However, the wideout who runs a 4.445 forty yard dash, told Gopher Hole that the interest level is expected to pick up as the Gophers are likely to extend a scholarship offer this week along with one from another Big Ten school.
Carter talked to Gopher Hole about the latest on his recruitment and Minnesota interest.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment?
Torrodd Carter: I am supposed to call Minnesota and they are going to tell me whether they are offering or not? I am supposed to call Coach Z sometime this week.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have right now?
Torrodd Carter: Akron, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Marshall, Miami of Ohio and Ohio University and Indiana is offering this week, too. They just want me to talk to the head coach and everything.
Gopher Hole: What college football camps did you get a chance to attend last month?
Torrodd Carter: I attended the Kentucky, Ohio State and Pitt camps.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that when you attend those camps you are able to pick up some things that make you a better player?
Torrodd Carter: Of, course. Everywhere you go, there are different styles of coaching. I feel that I pick up a little bit of something from everywhere to help me become a better player.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a wide receiver?
Torrodd Carter: I definitely think that my speed is a strength and my knowledge of the game. I am one step ahead of everyone in recognizing the game. I can catch the ball.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to improve yourself as a player?
Torrodd Carter: I want to work on my quickness in and out of my breaks. Just getting quicker and being more fluid.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota?
Torrodd Carter: I am hearing a lot of great stuff. They say that I am a really big priority for them and they really want to have a future with me. That is what Coach Z and everyone is saying. They are very interested.
Gopher Hole: Do you know when you are going to be calling them?
Torrodd Carter: I do not know which day so far. Probably in the next couple of days.
Gopher Hole: Have you ever been to Minnesota?
Torrodd Carter: Actually, I have been there when I was really young when my uncle (Danny Upchurch, a kick and punt returner in 2002 who ran into academic issues) used to play at Minnesota. I was a little kid.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for Westerville South this upcoming season?
Torrodd Carter: Oh, man, I feel like we are definitely a Final Four state team at the moment. We have Darryl Long (a Kentucky commit), one of the top tight ends in the state. We have basically our whole offensive line coming back. Our defense is looking strong. We can definitely make it.
Gopher Hole: What was your record last year?
Torrodd Carter: We went 8-3. We lost in the first round of the playoffs to Hillard Darby (31-10).
Gopher Hole: Is that a motivating factor to have an even better season after having made the playoff, but getting knocked out early?
Torrodd Carter: Of course. I feel like our senior class is much stronger. We are way more of a family now. We are all motivated. We all have the same goals and the same work ethic. I feel that we can definitely have a great year for us.
Gopher Hole: Have you gotten much of a chance to do things team-wise this summer?
Torrodd Carter: We had a camp and now we are conditioning and lifting right now. I think that we have another week of camp coming up Monday or Wednesday. We should have some seven-on-sevens coming up also.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to visit some college before high school starts?
Torrodd Carter: Yes. I am going to go down to Minnesota. I am going to visit Marshall and Ohio U and that should be it before school. When school starts, I think that I am going to go over to all the schools that have offered me. I am going to visit them and check out their programs and start to narrow it down and hopefully be able to make a decision in the beginning of the season.
Gopher Hole: Your uncle attended Columbus Brookhaven before playing one season at Minnesota. Does he live in Ohio now?
Torrodd Carter: He lives in Columbus. I am actually with him (right now).
Gopher Hole: What has he told you about Minnesota?
Torrodd Carter: Man, he loved it. He had no regrets towards it. He just wished he would have been more focused when he went in and actually took it more seriously, but he loved it. He loved the atmosphere in Minnesota, the coaching and the team. He said that he had a really good time in Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: Do you know when you might come up to visit for a visit or have you even thought that far?
Torrodd Carter: I have been thinking about it and I am trying to work out a good time before two-a-days and two-a-days start in the beginning of August, so I am trying to get down there before that starts.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you are going to try to decide on a school?
Torrodd Carter: I was probably thinking about right before the season starts, before the first game. If I get that feel for a school and I really feel like that is the school, I’ll commit.
Gopher Hole: What is going to be the main thing that makes you pick School A over School B or C?
Torrodd Carter: The main thing that will make me pick is if I can see myself for the next four years of my life. If they have my major. The education. If I just feel at home. That is a big part of college You’ll live there the next four years of your life. Being part of a family with your team. I don’t really worry about how big the school is. If I feel like that is the place, that is where I’ll go.
Gopher Hole: Is staying close to home a factor?
Torrodd Carter: It doesn’t mean that much.