OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Andrew Babalola has entered decision mode.
The Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest four-star checks in at No. 85 in the Rivals250. So it’s no surprise that he holds close to 30 scholarship offers from programs around the country.
This summer he took official visits to Auburn, Missouri, Stanford, Michigan and Oklahoma in that order. Babalola felt they were all great programs and that group makes up his top five.
“Really the biggest thing for me on all those official visits was I already had a good sense for the school and the people,” Babalola said.
“But really just taking a deeper dive into how I fit into the team. Offensive scheme and obviously meeting some more of the recruits and players. Seeing If I can really see myself fitting into that locker room.”
How does Babalola figure out how he would fit into the locker room? He says he focused during all the time spent with players. He asked questions and paid attention to whether what the players said matched what coaches said about the program.
But this decision will be about more than just football. The academics of the school he attends is an important factor. Babalola is thinking about going into the business world. He may study supply chain logistics.
He is also looking for a strong support staff at the program he chooses.
“The people who you’re gonna see every day even more than the coaches is the strength and conditioning plus nutrition staff,” Babalola said. “Administration and people like that too. So, those are the things that I really made sure to make a priority during my official visits.”
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MAKING THE DECISION
When you have this many offers and visited as many programs as Babalola has, you need a way to keep track of everything.
“I keep a little Google sheet,” Babalola said. “Just the stuff that’s most important to me. Obviously, my brother and my parents, they do a good job as well of kind of keeping track of that stuff.”
After the visits, the lineman and his family huddle up to discuss the trip. They go through the pros and cons of the visit. Plus, they are able to compare notes on what they each saw, since they have different viewpoints throughout the trip.
The dead period is lifting later this week so prospects will be able to visit programs. Babalola will not be visiting any of his final five. He’s locked into trying to figure out his future school even if there is no set date yet. He’d like to have this all wrapped up before his senior year starts.
“I would say the biggest thing for me is really finding the gut feeling,” Babalola said. “Just the gut feeling that I have all the information. I know everything that the schools have to offer. Now it’s just where do I feel most comfortable? That’s what it comes down to ultimately.”
