RECRUITING NOTEBOOK

updated 5:58 p.m. ET Aug. 14, 2007

He has been compared to Tony Gonzalez and has shown he can dominate a high school game as a tight end.

However, the thing about Lakewood (Wash.) Lakes athlete Kavario Middleton is that he can also dominate on the defensive side of the ball. Some college coaches have called him the top defensive end in the West, but at this point he doesn’t care which position he plays.

"Michigan is the only school that has specified where they want me to play," Middleton said. "They like me for defensive end. Everyone else is saying athlete or tight end and will leave it up to me, but it doesn't really matter. I like both sides of the ball, so it's not really an issue for me."

With schools from all over the country showing interest, Middleton said there are six programs he's focusing on right now.

"I like Miami, Michigan, Arizona State, Cal, Washington and Oregon," Middleton said. "All of them have offered. Miami was the one school that hadn't offered yet, but they just offered a few weeks ago.

“I was pretty excited about that one because Miami is a school I've liked for awhile. My coach told me they were just basically waiting to see if I was interested in them.”

Don’t expect a quick decision from the nation’s No. 4 tight end prospect (No. 45 overall).

“I haven't set up any of my visits yet, but I want to take all five before I make my decision,” he said. “I've already taken unofficial visits to Washington and Oregon, so my official visits will probably be to the other four schools. Washington is close to home and I can tell they're building something. Oregon was very impressive as well and I like their facilities a lot.

"Michigan and Miami are two national programs I'm looking forward to seeing this year. With Cal and ASU, I like how they use the tight end in their offense. It's going to be a tough call for me, but that's why the visits will be so important."

As a junior, Middleton - who is 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds - had 34 receptions for 412 yards and six scores. He said he’s honored to be recruited so heavily.

“To be ranked this high is a big accomplishment, and I feel like my hard work is paying off,” he said. “But I want to become an even better player, a better teammate, better leader and a better person. I just have to keep working hard until I get to where I want to be.”

And where’s that?

“The top,” he said.

East
The Maryland Terrapins continue to gain momentum on the recruiting trail. Their latest commitment is four-star defensive tackle Masengo Kabongo from Fairfield (Conn.) Fairfield Prep.

"He told me he was really comfortable with the coaches and trusted them,” Fairfield College Prep coach Billy Pinto said. "We went down on a visit in the spring and went to a basketball game. He met everybody on that trip, toured the facilities and had a real nice time.

“From what I know, he has always been leaning that way and called me up and told me he wanted to commit to Maryland."

The four-star prospect made the call to coach Ralph Friedgen and end things.

"I can't recall exactly what was said, but Masengo told me that Coach Friedgen was really excited he was going to be part of the program."

Pinto has worked closely with the No. 1 prospect in Connecticut. What kind of player are the Terrapins getting?

"He's a smart, very strong, quick and explosive player off the ball," Pinto said. "He's only been playing football for three years - this season will be his fourth. In fact, he's only been in America for five years and came from the Congo.

"I'd say he is raw but defined. He picks up things very quickly. He's sound technique-wise, too."

Kabongo selected Maryland over offers from Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Syracuse, N.C. State and others.

The Beal deal: A lot is going on for four-star linebacker Brendan Beal. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder out of Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty has scheduled three official visits.

"I have scheduled my officials, but I'm actually thinking about moving up my date of my announcement," he said. "I think it's pretty likely I'll do it. In my head, I'm kind of thinking I'll do it before our season starts at the end of the month."

If Beal doesn't decide by then, he does still plan to take his officials.

"I've got an official scheduled to Boston College on September 7, Florida on September 14 and Southern Cal I think on September 21," he said. "I still have LSU and Ohio State in my top five, too. I don't know on LSU right now. I don't think I'll be taking one to Ohio State since I was there in the spring for four days."

Currently two schools are leading for the Rivals100 prospect.

"My top two are Southern Cal and Florida," he stated. "I went and visited those campuses and got a good feel in my heart about them. There is something special about these two schools. I didn't get that vibe at others."

With a potential impending decision, how will Beal decide between his finalists?

"I just have to do a lot of thinking and then it'll come down to who I have the better relationship with," he said. "I'm still caught up in this whole situation. My head is spinning. When I decide, I've got to sit down and see what I'm looking at in life to see all the doors and opportunities available."

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