Mariner’s Russell has a decision to make

KeiVarae Russell has a lot going through his mind.

The star running back from Mariner High School is in the process of deciding where he will play college football. With more than a dozen scholarship offers from across the country, it’s not an easy task.

“It’s insane,” Russell, 18, said. “It’s a great position to be in. It’s stressful, though. I’m so nervous.”

ESPN Recruiting ranks Russell as the fifth best recruit in Washington and the 25th best running back prospect in the nation. He has scholarship offers from 18 FBS schools. The first came his sophomore year of high school and they’ve been flowing in ever since.

For a look at how KeiVarae Russell was feeling before the season started, check out this story by Mike Cane.

He’s incredibly thankful for each and every offer, and remembers the excitement of the first school to offer him a scholarship. He was pulled out of class to visit his coach’s office, where Pete Kaligis, an assistant coach for the University of Wyoming was waiting. Kaligis, a 1994 graduate of the University of Washington, looked at a young Russell and told him he was a special player.

“I think you’ll get a lot of offers,” Kaligis, an offensive-line coach, said. “You have one now.”

“He was so cool about it,” Russell said.

With that meeting, Russell’s recruitment officially began. Over the next year, the offers began piling up. Pacific-12 teams California and Washington State were quick to talk to Russell. Vanderbilt University was interested.

Russell listened to all the pitches. He talked to coaches weekly. He received letters in the mail with brochures about prospective schools.

“At first I was loving it,” he said.

By his senior year, every Pacific-12 team had offered Russell a scholarship. He also was contacted by Purdue, Boise State and the legendary football program at Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, Russell was busy helping Mariner reach the Class 4A playoffs, where the Marauders lost their first game. It wasn’t the season he envisioned for his team. The Marauders had to deal with myriad injuries to key players. Linebackers, offensive linemen and Russell himself all missed time.

“This was an interesting year,” Russell said. “There were a lot of expectations. … A lot of ups and downs.”

All of a sudden it was time to figure out his future. How does an 18-year-old make such a life-altering choice? Fortunately for Russell, he has coaches, family, close friends, teachers and more than 1,300 Facebook friends ready to offer advice.

“I need it to be over,” Russell said with a laugh.

When Stanford played Oregon in an elite Pac-12 matchup earlier this month, Russell posted a comment about how good Oregon’s offense looked. That led to 22 comments about why Russell should or shouldn’t choose Oregon, as well as an online rumor that he had committed to the Ducks.

While he gets lots of “advice” on Facebook, when the time comes he’s going to talk to his family and close friends, discuss options with his coaches and then go to his room and make a list of pros and cons for each school. “The final decision is going to be me,” Russell said.

The below video was shot before the season started

He’s whittled those 18 offers down to four schools: USC, California, Notre Dame and Washington. Each university offers a chance to play quickly and a degree that carries prestige, a must for Russell, who wants to make sure he’s set up for life after football.

So which school is his favorite? “I change my mind every day,” he said.

Even though Mariner’s football season is over, Russell still has a lot to do. Aside from thinking about his future he has to get ready to participate in the Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7 in San Antonio. It’s the premier showcase for high school seniors.

The game, which is broadcast nationally on NBC, is a great opportunity for athletes to show their skills and make an announcement about what school they’ll be attending.

Russell, who’s thinking about a major in business, said he hopes to have his choice nailed down by then.

Whatever school he attends, Russell said he knows he’s going to have to work hard. In college, everybody’s a great athlete and what sets a player apart is his work ethic, he said.

“It’s about what you do off the field when practice is done,” Russell said. “Are you watching film or sleeping?”

That work ethic is what has college coaches around the country clamoring to get their hands on Mariner’s running back, and if Russell continues his success, he may be going through a similar courtship four years from now.

“My goal is just to make the (National Football) League, make some money and help out my family,” Russell said.

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Mariner High School running back Keivarae Russell has narrowed his choice of colleges to four schools. Here, in no particular order, are some of his thoughts on each school:

Southern Cal

At USC Russell could follow in the footsteps of his favorite college football player: Trojans running back Reggie Bush. Russell models his game after Bush, who can run or catch passes out of the backfield. In fact, Russell wears the number “5” on his jersey as an homage to Bush.

Russell likes that the Trojans use their running backs in a rotation. He also likes the suggestion that he could play cornerback. So far USC is the only school to float that possibility.

California

There are two things Russell really likes about Cal: “Cal sends players to the NFL” he said, and “if you get a degree from Cal-Berkeley, that opens doors.”

The roster for the Seattle Seahawks illustrates Russell’s first point: running backs Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch are both from Cal.

Notre Dame

Russell likes the distinction a degree from Notre Dame brings and is impressed by the fact the Fighting Irish graduate 95 percent of their players. “With a Notre Dame degree you’re going anywhere you want,” he said.

On the field, the Irish plan to use him in the open field, where Russell feels he excels. Because of Notre Dame’s lack of depth at running back, Russell calls it the “best position” for him.

Washington

The Huskies have made a strong push for Russell. With most of his family from Kent, he likes that his relatives could continue to see him play. He said he feels “extremely comfortable at UW” and is friends with several of last year’s recruits, including freshman standouts Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

Then, there’s the man who runs the show.

“It’s the hometown and I can easily relate to the people and coaches there,” Russell said. “They make me feel welcome. Coach (Steve) Sarkisian is a fantastic coach. He is no doubt one of my favorite head coaches, if not favorite.”

David Krueger, Herald writer