Figueroa admitted he’s high on both USC and UCLA, but he said he “could definitely see myself going” to Tennessee after getting a pair of visits from tight ends coach
Brian Niedermeyer over the past few weeks. “He’s just been telling me to come, telling me to come,” Figueroa said of Niedermeyer. “I think it’s going to be a good time.”
“I’d been leaning toward (visiting) Tennessee, and I just kind of sat down with the family and just decided, ‘Yeah, I want to go to Tennessee.’ I watched the Auburn game and I kind of watched (Vols senior defensive end)
Kyle Phillips the whole time, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to go check it out.’”
“First off, Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt and that entire staff — (defensive line) coach (Tracy) Rocker — it’s, like, an all-star cast of coaches,” Figueroa said. “I mean, let’s be real. It’s a great situation that they have right now. And then they’re in a building stage. They’re graduating four D-linemen, and I think there’s going to be a chance for guys to step in there and get some significant playing time in the SEC. “And I haven’t seen anything outside of an hour from my house, so I think it’ll be valuable for me to go and see the other side of the United States and check out what Knoxville has to offer.”
“I want the best opportunity, best fit for me, if that’s in Los Angeles or Knoxville or anywhere,” said Figueroa, who plans to announce his college choice on Wednesday and enroll in January with three years to play his final three seasons of eligibility. “But I’m trying to keep an open mind in this process because I know that, if I have preconceived notions with everything, I’m not going to have the best answer for my football career. That’s kind of what I’m trying to figure out, is what puts me in the best position to make it to the NFL, make lots of money after college and all types of life decisions, make me a better man and enjoy the ride.”
