Inside 4-star WR Rico Flores' first cut

Over 20 schools have offered Folsom (Calif.) four-star wide receiver Rico Flores and he feels it is time to make that first cut.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound playmaker is ranked No. 167 in the On3 Consensus, and Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Texas, UCLA, and USC have made the initial cut.

“All 10 schools have something that has put them in play for me,” Flores told On3. “I am communicating with coaches from each school, I can see myself at each program, and these 10 schools are strong.”

This is far from final. Flores will still receive offers, and his list is still going to change.

“My plan is to do a top 10 now, get down to five schools in the spring, then commit in June or July.

“I am still keeping my recruiting open, and if a new school catches my attention, things can change. I am now just going to work towards getting my list down to five.”

Flores wants to take more visits

The first thing on Flores’ list to move forward is to take more visits. He was recently at UCLA and he has visited Westwood three times. He has also visited Alabama, LSU, Texas, and USC.

“I have visited half of the schools on my list, so I need to see more so I can compare,” Flores said. “I want to see Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and schools like that. I know they are great schools, so now I just need to visit them.

“The visits will be important to me because I will go anywhere in the country. The location doesn’t mean anything to me. My mom is OK with me going anywhere. She just wants me to go where I feel is best for me.”

Communication is important too. Some schools in Flores’ top 10 have had coaching changes. Oregon’s new offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was in contact for the first time Monday.

It is daily that Flores hears from schools.

“Talking to coaches and getting to know them is important because when I cit my list down, and then commit, I want to commit to a school I feel like family at.

“Schools like Notre Dame, USC, Texas, and UCLA are on my almost every day. The others stay in regular contact too, so that is big because I am getting to know them better.”

Other things Flores will continue to evaluate as he progresses through the recruiting process are who makes him feel welcome, where he can get on the field early, and who can help him develop into an NFL prospect.

Flores has not scheduled any visits for the new year yet.