4-star TE Nate Roberts announces top five schools and locks in his official visits

Washington (Okla.) tight end Nate Roberts has been offered by 39 schools. The No. 117 prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings has been going through the process for a couple of years and he is ready to turn his focus toward five schools.

Relationships have been established and that was a big part of this list coming together for Roberts. The offense, how each program uses the tight end position and how he felt on visits also factored in.

The 6-foot-3.5, 220-pound four-star has narrowed his list down to Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon and Penn State. And he has official visits lined up with each of those schools.

The only school he has yet to visit is Ole Miss. Roberts will be in Oxford for an official visit April 27-29. Penn State is a school he has visited twice and he takes his official visit to Happy Valley on May 31-June 2. Moving into June, Roberts will visit Ohio State June 7-9, Oregon June 14-16 and Oklahoma June 21-23.

When he wraps things up in Norman, Roberts will turn his focus toward a commitment.

“I hope to know where I want to be after the official visits,” Roberts told On3. “I am focused on these five schools and my plan is to commit to one this summer after the visits.

“The visits will be important because I what I really will rely on when it comes time to commit is how I feel when I am there. My gut will be very important. The relationships and if I see myself fitting in there for four years are important too, but the feeling I have on campus will be so important.”

Roberts still plans to visit Ohio State April 13 and at Oklahoma on April 20.

Roberts talks Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon and Penn State

Ohio State: “I have visited Ohio State four times and what really stands out is my relationship with Coach Keenan Bailey. We just connect. The past with tight end production and how they continue to use tight ends also stands out about Ohio State. Then I love the culture and the brotherhood there too. The players have a great mentality and it is a place I like each time I visit.”

Oklahoma: “i love the thought of playing for my state. it would be really cool to do at Oklahoma. My friends and family can be there and that is something I think about. Coach Joe Jon Finley has done a great job recruiting me too. I like him a lot. Coach Brent Venables is one of my favorite head coaches as well. He is big on faith and I like that a lot. Coach Venables did a great job with the program in two years. I like where they are going as a program and with the tight ends.”

Ole Miss: “Ole Miss is the one school I have not visited yet, so my interest in them ties to Joe Cox. He recruited me when he was at Alabama, I am a big fan of his and we have a great relationship.. He had success at Alabama, I am interested in seeing what he does at Ole Miss and he is the type of coach I would love to play for in college. Ole Miss is the school I have the most to learn about on my official visits.”

Oregon: “I am a big fan of Dan Lanning. I love what he has done at Oregon already and what the direction of the program is under him. He is a loyal coach, Oregon is stable with him there and I trust he will be there in the future. Then the tight ends they have and Coach Drew Mehringer make Oregon stand out. I have a great relationship with Coach Mehringer.”

Penn State: “The main thing that sticks out about Penn State is their tight end use. They have produced NFL draft picks at my position and they continue to use tight ends in their offense. Coach Ty Howle is part of my interest too. We have a good connection, I talk with him a lot and he is a great guy. Then Penn State has that fan base and environment. There is a lot about Penn State I like.”