Catching Up With Jaron Dukes

Columbus (OH) Marion-Franklin WR Jaron Dukes made his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor yesterday for an unofficial visit to his childhood favorite, Michigan. Dukes told me earlier this week that he was "ecstatic" upon receiving his Wolverine offer and "[has] my mind set on where I want to go," but he's heeding the advice of his coaches and parents and making sure to check out not only Michigan, but other schools as well before me makes a commitment. I spoke with Jaron last night when he returned from his visit, and needless to say he enjoyed the trip:

ACE: How'd you enjoy the visit?

JARON: Oh, I loved it. It was the best.

ACE: Do you want to expand on that? Take me through what you saw in Ann Arbor.

JARON: I'll tell you what I saw. I saw a love for Michigan. Everybody I talked to loves the university, loves everything about it. They were a family, you could tell there was a bond everywhere you went, you could just feel it. It was just a great place to be. They took me through the facilities, they showed me the field, academic center, athletic center, I talked to the dean, everything—it was just great.

ACE: Who hosted you on the visit and what coaches were you talking to?

JARON: It was myself, Coach Heck, Coach Montgomery, and another coach, I think he was the linebackers coach.

ACE: What was your impression of the coaching staff?

JARON: (laughs) We were just over there having a good time, laughing and talking, making sure Michigan will be a place that I will be happy at. It was just having a great time getting to know the school and everything, not putting pressure on me, just letting me enjoy seeing the campus and everything for right now.

ACE: What would you say was the high point of the visit? Can you pick out a particular thing that stood out to you?

JARON: Easily. Easily I can say the highest point was me starting from the very top of the tunnel, running down the tunnel, jumping, and just walking out onto the field. I went from the 'M' in the center of the field, to end zone, to end zone, and back to the center, and a tear came down my face.

ACE: Is Michigan a place you could see yourself playing?

JARON: Oh, yes sir.

ACE: I know you didn't want to make a snap decision, a commitment on the visit, but what is it going to take it terms of knowing when you'd like to make a decision? Also, what's it going to take for another school to be able to match what Michigan offers?

JARON: I don't think, well, I don't know. I guess they have to show, they'd have to impress my parents. If my parents are happy, then I'm going to be happy, but as long as I feel I'm safe there, then it'll be OK.

ACE: What did your parents think of the trip?

JARON: My parents really liked it, they loved it. They just want me—and they should—they want me to go around and make sure that I've got everything else out of the way that I want to see. They want me to go around and see what other colleges have to offer. Show me that there's more than just one school out there.

ACE: Do you know what other schools you want to see at this point?

JARON: Yes. I would like to take a trip to Cincinnati, Michigan State, I'd like to go up to West Virginia, maybe Illinois.

ACE: Do you know when you'd want to take those visits and when you'd want to be done with your recruitment, or is that still to be decided?

JARON: That still has to be decided with my parents, and me and my coaches would have to go over it.