Alabama, Ohio State, South Carolina are Top 3 for elite '19 DE Izuchukwu

The Latest: After moving to the United States from Nigeria, Class of 2019 four-star defensive end Ani Izuchukwu spent the first two years of his high school career learning the game of football. And while he's still picking up the nuances of the game, his raw physical ability has already made him a top target of several of college football's top programs. After a busy summer of camps and visits Izuchukwu is ready to focus on three programs, Alabama, Ohio State and South Carolina, as he heads into an important stretch of visits and perhaps gets ready to announce a commitment. Rivals.com caught up with Izuchukwu to break down his favorites.

Weakside defensive end

4 STARS

Nashville

RR: 5.8

Ht: 6'4.0"

Wt: 226.0

Class: 2019

Commitment status:

undecided

In His Words: "I had a good time during the summer going on visits and getting a chance to meet a lot of the coaches and work with them on the field. Now I want to see what it's like for a game day and start to think about making my decision."

Ohio State: "I have the best relationship with their coaches. I talk to them the most and they make sure I get to know all the coaches there. My friend Max Wray is going there and they are good at helping players get drafted high. They have good academics and great facilities. When I was there for their camp in the summer they really showed me that they have a plan for me to keep developing and they think I can be a big-time player in their defense. I'm going to visit their Oct. 28 when they play Penn State."

Alabama: "I love Coach Tosh, he's a great guy and a great coach who has helped make a lot of players better. They are good at preparing guys for the NFL and life after football. They have compared me to some other guys they have had in the past who have made it to the NFL and that would be a dream come true for me to make it to that level. I have been there many times for visits but I want to get back again so I'm going for the Arkansas game on Oct. 14. They have great fan support and tradition and I can't wait to see it again."

South Carolina: "I liked the coaches this summer when I went to camp there, I got to work with them on the field and really get a feel for what they would be like to play for and that was a good experiences. I spent a lot of time with the coaches and I really like them. Coach Muschamp is obviously a great defensive coach and their team has a lot of good defensive linemen that they have helped developed. Their defensive coaches have done a good job of getting guys to the NFL and that is my goal. I'm going to visit there Oct. 7 when they play Arkansas."

On a decision: "These are the three schools I'm focused on right now so I want to take these visits and see how it goes. I could see myself deciding by the end of the year."

Rivals Reaction: Izuchukwu has a unique story and he is just scratching the surface in terms of his potential as a football player. It will take the right program and coaches to help him blossom, so it's not a surprise to see him taking a closer look at his favorites. Depending on how these visits go could say a lot about where he ends up making his commitment.