New leader for OL Deryc Plazz off Miami Hurricanes official visit: “It’s definitely a place I can fit in”

Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson OL Deryc Plazz arrived for his Miami Hurricanes visit this weekend with Miami and NC State in a dead heat.

Now?

After what he says was a “great” visit, it’s the Canes in front.

“Right now Miami, they are the top, it’s between Miami and NC State and they’re ahead of NC State right now,” Plazz told CaneSport.

With that said, Plazz has his NC State official visit this coming weekend. He also says that new programs are evaluating him for offers – he’s hearing from Auburn, Michigan State and Baylor.

“Miami and NC State (as the top 2), it’s still pretty close,” Plazz said. “What made Miami jump out is just being around the guys. And when they took us through the city it’s definitely a place I can fit in. I can thrive off being here.”

Plazz also isn’t in a hurry to announce a decision. He says while he may know a decision in the very near future he is going to wait until Sept. 23 to announce.

“That’s a very special day,” he said. “I had a high school coach who passed away and that’s his birthday. So will probably be decided before  then, but I won’t announce before then.”

As he waits to honor his coach, the decision process will be ongoing.

And Plazz shared some more about his Miami visit experience.

He was hosted by Tommy Kinsler and Nyjalik Kelly and says “they are great guys, for sure. I’d been down to Miami before so I knew the atmosphere and the play there. For me it was more about being around the guys, and it was great being back down.”

Plazz also, of course, spent a lot of time with head coach Mario Cristobal and OL coach Alex Mirabal.

“Coach Cristobal, he said I’m wanted at The U, they have big plans for me and they can help me accomplish the big plans they have,” Plazz said. “He’s a big family guy but also cares about his players, cares about them as his own sons. He treats everyone with care, makes sure everyone is straight and achieves their goals.”

Mirabal’s message?

“Same thing as coach Cristobal, he said he’d love to coach me, we can do big things together, that he can definitely develop me, prepare me for the NFL,” Plazz said. “He said I can play everything. I can play all positions, that wherever I’m best I’ll play. Center through tackle.”

The final lasting message off the visit that Plazz says resonated most with him?

“Coach Cristobal – he said if I come here the plan is to win a national championship, that it’s something we can all achieve together,” Plazz said. “I loved it when he said that. You don’t play football to win 8 games.”

CaneSport’s take

This 6-5, 280-pounder says Miami has been recruiting him “for a while.” And while it was rumored that Miami coaches said that if he wanted to take an OV he’d have to decommit from Penn State first (which he did last week), Plazz says that’s not what happened and that he made the decision to open things up and set up visits and that Penn State “is not in consideration” anymore. Another interesting note: Plazz fancied himself a basketball player before his hoops coach told him he “had to” play football as a high school freshman. Plazz made varsity and the rest is history.

Plazz also, during the visit, tweeted out a photo of LeBron James, as in possible taking his talents to South Beach as well.

So we’ll see what happens here.

The post New leader for OL Deryc Plazz off Miami Hurricanes official visit: “It’s definitely a place I can fit in” appeared first on On3.