Decision time: Down to Ducks or Dawgs for Auburn’s Shelton

Auburn star recruit Danny Shelton plays in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at 4 p.m. Friday.

December 30, 2010 4:35 pm

Auburn star recruit Danny Shelton plays in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at 4 p.m. Friday.

Immediately afterward, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior lineman expects to make a decision on where he will play college ball next fall.

Shelton helped lead the Trojans to the state 4A quarterfinals this season with his muscle along the offensive line and 56 tackles on the defensive side of the ball. Couple that with a 3.5 GPA and a 1260 on the SAT, and most of the Pac-10 Conference programs were eager to have Shelton come play for them.

For Shelton, who has taken three recruiting visits, it all comes down to two schools – Oregon and Washington. National letter of intent is Feb. 2.

The Auburn Reporter had a chance to talk to Shelton – who will likely focus on defense in college – before he flew out for the all-star bowl game.

Q: So have you made up your mind where you’re going yet?

A: I’m going to announce after the bowl game this week.

Q: I read that you were thinking it was between Washington and Oregon. Are you still thinking of those two?

A: Yes.

Q: So what is the appeal of those schools? For you, why did you pick those two?

A: Washington is real close, and they have a good program. My mom really likes the academics they have there.

Q: How about Oregon? What was it about the Ducks?

A: Oregon has a real good program. They have great facilities. The fans there are exciting to watch during the game.

Q: How do you feel about the uniforms down there?

A: The uniforms, they’re pretty cool. The players actually designed the uniforms.

Q: So what has been the highlight of your football year?

A: Just being able to make it to the playoffs again in my senior year.

Q: How big is this bowl game you’re playing in for you?

A: It’s pretty big, I’m pretty excited to put on the pads again. I didn’t think I was going to be playing in any bowl games until I got this invitation. That got me pretty excited. So I decided to play in the game.

Q: So how many visits did you take? Did you take all your visits?

A: I only took three. I went to USC (University of Southern California) first, then Oregon and then Washington.

Q: So you ruled out USC quickly. What was the deal with that?

A: I didn’t like them as much, and they got out of contact with me. They never tried to get a hold of me after the visit.

Q: I know you have a couple of brothers and mom, who’s got your ear. Who’s helping you make the decision?

A: It’s the whole family.

Q: What is your priority when it comes to picking a school? What are you looking for?

A: Playing time is the most important.