Linebacker Josh Furman of Old Mill Senior High School, in Millersville, Md., is a top-tier prospect for some elite college football programs such as Michigan, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Furman has already taken official visits to see what the Wolverines and Hokies have to offer and would like to set up a visit to WVU, but first needs to affirm plans with defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, who is Furman’s recruiter for the Mountaineers.
“I talked to coach Casteel a week ago,” he told EerSports.com on Tuesday night. “I was telling him about setting up an official, but he hasn’t gotten back to me about it, so I didn’t schedule it.”
The aforementioned schools along with Maryland are not necessarily a final four for Furman, he said, and are not situated in any particular order at this time. However, WVU is still very much a potential destination for the talented linebacker.
“They would stand high because they have been recruiting me since day one. I had a lot of interest in them before when Steve Slaton, Pat White and Owen Schmitt were there,” said Furman.
Furman explained how Casteel has been regularly sending him letters and how Casteel called him “a couple times, maybe before games.”
“I still have a lot of interest in them,” he said. “Even though he hasn’t got back to me, Casteel has been recruiting me since day one,” adding that Maryland was the first school to materialize a written offer, followed by WVU.
ESPN Scouts Inc ranked Furman, who is 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, the No. 37 overall outside linebacker prospect for the 2010 recruiting class and evaluated him with a 78 scouts grade. Old Miller Senior High School is off to a 6-1 start this season with Furman playing both linebacker and running back.
Furman said he has not played a lot of linebacker this season, which is the position he intends on playing in college, but has recorded an interception and a sack. Rather, he has shined at running back, amassing more than 800 rush yards and 11 touchdowns. In addition to good size, he has athleticism and blazing speed, clocking the 40-yard dash in the 4.4-second range. He also possesses a 39-inch vertical leap.
What attracted Casteel to pursue the Maryland prep star was Furman’s on-field game speed and his physicality, Furman says. “He thinks with my speed and physical abilities, I can be real successful in his defense.”
WVU’s 3-3-5 odd stack scheme is favorable to Furman, who said he plays in the same scheme while playing for Old Mill Senior High School.
During the first week back in February, Furman took an unofficial visit to Morgantown and said he liked what he saw of the WVU campus.
He took an official visit to Ann Arbor, Mich., when the Wolverines welcomed in Notre Dame, back on Sept. 12. Furman took another official visit to Virginia Tech back on Oct. 10, when the Hokies played host to Boston College. The football staff at Maryland has talked with Furman about setting up an official visit date, he said. “They’re talking about a December type official visit, but I don’t know if I’m going to be uncommitted by then.”
Tony Dews, Michigan’s wide receivers coach, has been heading up UM’s pursuit of Furman, says Furman. “I’m pretty high on their board. I think I’m a must get for them.”
Seeing UM go up against Notre Dame inside Michigan Stadium was a positive experience for Furman. “It was a great place to be in -- the atmosphere and how the crowd was into the game,” he said.
UM head coach Rich Rodriguez, former head coach at WVU, spoke with Furman while he was on his official visit to UM, Furman said. “I got to talk to him about my visit. I got to see the type of person he was outside of the cameras.”
Furman’s impression of Rodriguez after talking with him face to face: “He just seems like a well-rounded person. He’ll put as much effort or money in what he does to have a winning team,” said Furman.
An announcement of Furman’s commitment could come in November, although he explained how the process may extend into December. “It’s harder that I thought it would be.”
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