DePaul Recruiting Eighth Grader

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Feb 12, 2010 4:20PM

We thought things were getting a bit nuts with collegiate sports and recruiting when it was announced last week that a 13-year-old kid had already committed to play football at USC. Now it looks like DePaul is getting in on the Teen Recruiting action as interim head coach Tracy Webster has started recruiting 14-year-old Jahlil Okafor, a Rosemont Elementary School District 78 eighth grader (and distant cousin to the NBA's Emeka Okafor). DePaul athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto said:

"This is a young guy we've been talking with for a long time, and who has been to games and we have a relationship with because his uncle works for the Rosemont Police Department," Ponsetto said. "I think it's a prospect who has grown up around DePaul basketball. I think he's probably a fan and someone who has been a fan for some time, since we have played in Rosemont for the last 30 years."

Jahill's father, Chuck, was a bit surprised when he first heard of the offer, thinking it was originally a joke but then discovering it was true: "He's so young. We've seen a couple games, but a formal offer? That's crazy."

All of this in spite of the fact Webster may not even be the head coach at DePaul next season. As of now, plenty of names are being thrown out as possible replacements but one that may sound familiar is Oregon State's Craig Robinson, who also happens to be the brother of First Lady Michelle Obama.