When school let out at Gig Harbor High School last month, senior-to-be Austin Seferian-Jenkins knew his summer schedule would be jam-packed with all things football.
Mornings would be spent pumping iron and catching passes with teammates.
He planned to crisscross the country for high-profile camps and cram in visits to college football powerhouses around AAU basketball tournaments.
Such is life for the nation’s top-rated tight end recruit.
“It can be difficult and hard to balance everything at times,” said his mother, Linda Seferian. “It’s a double-edged sword. Austin knows he’s very fortunate to be in this position.”
Seferian-Jenkins, rated the top tight end in the country by Rivals.com, is the South Sound’s most sought-after recruit since running back Jonathan Stewart lured coaches from every corner of the country to Timberline High School in the early 2000s. The 6-foot-7, 260-pounder with soft hands and speed has received dozens of scholarship offers. Seferian-Jenkins, who caught 62 passes for 1,152 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, has whittled his list of suitors to seven schools: California, Florida, LSU, Texas, UCLA, USC and Washington.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever get another one like this,” Gig Harbor coach Darren McKay said. “There are schools all over the country that want Austin. We’ve had some D-1 (NCAA Division I) guys before. But nothing like this. Not even close.”
Seferian-Jenkins is in the midst of a particularly football-heavy two-week span. He and his Gig Harbor teammates are sparring with Curtis High School at a team camp this week. On Friday, he’ll fly to Orlando, Fla., to participate in the elite Championship Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 football camp. Many of the country’s top recruits will be in attendance, including Skyline receiver Kasen Williams.
Seferian-Jenkins said he’s eager to compete with players of his caliber.
“You get to see how you stack up against the rest of the country,” he said. “You get to evaluate your own talent. My only goal there is to get better and show that I am the best in the country at my position.”
The following weekend, Seferian-Jenkins will play in an AAU basketball tournament in Los Angeles. He says hoops is not in his future; he plays to keep in shape so he “won’t turn into a lineman.” While in L.A., he said he’ll take an unofficial visit to UCLA and possibly USC.
Seferian-Jenkins is particularly excited about taking in the scene at the University of Texas in two weeks. The Longhorns have not yet offered him a scholarship, but UT coaches have made trips to Gig Harbor and it’s expected Seferian-Jenkins will receive an offer when he and his mother meet with Texas head coach Mack Brown.
Linda said the visit to Texas will probably be the last “unofficial visit” Seferian-Jenkins will make, though she didn’t rule out a trip to Berkeley, Calif. The NCAA allows recruits in their senior year of high school to make up to five “official visits,” paid for by the host schools.
Seferian-Jenkins’ family has footed the bill for the travel that allowed him to jet around the country for camps and college campus visits.
Linda said she thinks her son has handled the recruiting process well. She doesn’t deny that he probably focuses more on aspects related to football – coaching staffs, offensive schemes, current players, depth charts and incoming recruits – than academics. Seferian-Jenkins has, after all, been blessed with the build and athleticism that could lead to an NFL career. It seems prudent for football to be at the forefront of his decision-making, but his reasoning won’t be limited to on-the-field facets.
“I look at academics, are the players happy there, will I fit in there, would I be happy there if I got hurt and couldn’t play?” Seferian-Jenkins said.
He also draws advice from an unlikely source – 12-year-old sister Michaela. She accompanies big brother and mom on some visits and offers her opinions.
“She likes going on visits with me,” he said, “and I like her being there with me. We go on visits, like we’ll be at UCLA and she says ‘I love UCLA. I’m going to UCLA.’ It’s really nice for her to be so positive. She helps more than she thinks. Same with my mom, she helps me a lot.”
Linda said Austin probably has all the information he needs to make a decision. Just one hurdle remains in the process.
“He’s kind of at the point where he’s trying to decide whether he wants to stay local – UW has a good program – or if he wants to take that next step and possibly leave,” she said.
Seferian-Jenkins has spent more time at Washington than other campuses. He’s been to camps and occasionally watches film with head coach Steve Sarkisian. He said he has no timetable for making a decision.
He’ll mull his options for as long as it takes. If he desires, he has months; the signing period doesn’t begin until February. One thing is for certain, however. When he returns from Texas, his focus will be on the upcoming high school football season. The Tides open against rival Peninsula in the Fish Bowl. The Seahawks’ 38-7 rout still stings from a year ago.
“They beat us bad,” Seferian-Jenkins said. “We keep thinking about it. It’s definitely been motivation for us when we get in that weight room and do the tough stuff.”
Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271 blog.thenewstribune.com/preps
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