Zook, Petrino, Fayson in town for T-Rex

Posted Jan 5, 2010 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 5, 2010 at 04:32 PM

Illinois’ football program pulled out all the stops in its recruiting efforts for Hillsborough senior Terrence “T-Rex” Mitchell on Tuesday as Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and receiver Jarred Fayson came to Tampa for an official campus visit with the Terriers’ star safety.

“Obviously, they’re pressing pretty hard for T-Rex,” Hillsborough head coach Earl Garcia. “He really enjoyed his visit there and I think Illinois has a real shot at him for a combination of reasons—it’s the Big 10, [former Hillsborough quarterback] Jarred [Fayson] is there and Zook is a genuine recruiter.”

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Mitchell will take his fifth and final official college visit Friday when he travels to Tallahassee to meet with Florida State officials and players. Mitchell has also taken trips to Georgia, Tennessee and the University of South Florida. For the past several months, Mitchell said FSU was his leading candidate but it now appears USF and Illinois have entered the race. Mitchell has always played safety for the Terriers but most college programs are recruiting him as a cornerback.

“I think it’s between those three [USF, FSU and Illinois],” Garcia said. “He’s already turned down a lot of schools, including Florida and Auburn, and those three have a lot to offer him right now.”

At South Florida, Mitchell could join his cousin, Bulls freshman running back Lindsey Lamar. At Illinois, Fayson, who will be a senior next fall, can pave they way for Mitchell’s arrival. And while FSU has recently gained the commitment of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas’ Lamarcus Joyner as a defensive back, the Seminoles are still strongly recruiting Mitchell. The Seminoles’ track team, which boasts three NCAA national titles, is also seeking Mitchell, who last spring was a state finalist in the 100-meter dash, 300 hurdles, long and triple jumps.