Vincent Paige set to make decision in February

Vincent Paige is on track to get his recruiting over early. The defensive end from Nolan Catholic in Forth Worth announced he will make a decision next month.

Kansas is one of the schools on his list that will factor in over the next four weeks as he gets ready to make a commitment.

Emmett Jones knew about Paige and then introduced him to Chidera Uzo-Diribe who coaches the outside linebackers for the Jayhawks.

“I've got to know him over the last year,” Paige said of Uzo-Diribe. “He's a great guy. He really has a great character about himself. He not only cares about his players and about football, but also about their daily lives and their family, which plays a huge role in my commitment and my recruitment.”

Uzo-Diribe and Paige spoke this week and he has heard a lot about the Kansas program.

“There is a family environment, everybody holds each other accountable and they could depend on one another,” Paige said.

The Kansas coaches offered Paige and his teammate Curlee Thomas on the same day. They watched both players on film and extended offers to the defensive ends.

“They liked how I am able to play different positions on the defense,” Paige said. “I can play inside linebacker, outside linebacker, or defensive end. I try to really make a team's jobs really difficult to game plan against me.”

Paige said the schools that have moved to the front of his list are Kansas, Baylor, UConn, Houston, Cincinnati and Louisiana Tech.

He has been talking to several schools and feels he will be ready to make his decision on Feb. 16.

“It's been great, and I've loved the process,” he said. “I've built strong relationships with multiple coaches. I just feel like it was around the perfect time for me to commit. My family stood by my side with the decision.”

After a good junior season, it isn’t a surprise Paige has several options. He helped Nolan Catholic advance to the state title game where had 14 tackles and three sacks. Since that time, he’s focused on recruiting and preparing to make his commitment.

“A lot will come down to the relationship with the coach,” he said. “And then how I'll fit in with their program. It's not really about the biggest school or who has the best gear or the best brands or anything like that, it really just comes down to the relationship with the coach. And who really cares about me more than a football player, but actually as a young man.”