Down to three, TE Pedersen talks about the next steps forward
Any day now. That’s when a decision could conceivably come California native Christian Pedersen figures. Maybe he’ll wake up and he’ll know which of his top three schools is the right fit for him. Or maybe it’ll be a while, as visits get lined up and then taken, before a decision is reached.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end is in no rush, though, and that’s part of what gives him so much confidence that he’s moving along as he should.
“Starting off, things were very hot and hectic early on,” he told CavsCorner this week. “I’d say the first 10 offers all came within like the first week or two. They were all pretty quick. Then I got a few more, then I got Virginia, and then after Virginia I got four or five more. And then after that things started to cool down a little bit and it’s been pretty calm for a while.
“As it was starting to cool down, I could actually start thinking ‘Okay what schools do you like and don’t like?’ and so as I’ve been going, I’ve kind of decided those three were kind of my favorites, my top schools,” Pedersen added. “So that’s why I put that out when I did.”
In narrowing it down to San Diego State, Louisville, and UVa, the San Mateo (CA) Junipero Serra standout feels like he’s got three schools where he would be successful.
“They’re about an hour and a half flight, nine-hour drive,” he said of SDSU. “Obviously, it’s an in-state school and I’ve also been to San Diego a lot so I know the area very well. I know the vibe down there. They were the first school to offer. We have a very tight relationship, me and all of the coaches. We talk on a weekly basis and they really make me feel like they really want me to stay close to home, stay closer to my parents and my family. They’re great guys down there.
“Super cool guys,” Pedersen said of the coaches at UL. “Super easy to talk to. Coach (Scott) Satterfield’s an awesome guy, super cool. He’s very, very smart offensively and knows what he’s doing. He calls their plays, so he’s an offensive minded head coach. I love the city of Louisville. I haven’t been there but on the virtual visit, it was awesome and they did a great job. We also keep in touch weekly.”
From UVa, Ricky Brumfield has led the way for the Hoos and helped to build an early connection.
“I talk to Coach Brumfield, he’s the tight ends coach and he offered me,” Pedersen explained. “So me and him talk pretty consistently too. We have a great relationship. I’ve met with the whole offensive staff, I’ve met with Coach Bronco (Mendenhall), and those guys are awesome too. They treat me like family and make me feel really wanted.”
As far as fit, all three offer interesting opportunities.
“I actually had a Zoom meeting with Coach Brumfield and he showed me exactly how I would fit in there,” Pedersen said. “They basically laid out that they would use me in a variety of ways, on the line and off the line and in the slot and sometimes in the backfield in two-back sets. They really would have me all over the place.
“So, with Virginia they have a very creative offense and their OC designs the plays around players,” he added. “If he wants this player or that player to make a play, the play will be designed around them. And he does a great job of that, creating those plays. I think that if I went there, they’d have some good plays for me.”
There are similarities, Pedersen said, between the two ACC programs.
“Same thing with Louisville, too,” he added. “Coach Satterfield is the kind of guy where if you’re going to make a play he’s going to get the ball to you. If you make a play in practice, he’s going to get you the ball in the game. He’s going to get his playmakers the ball. And San Diego State, Coach Heck (Jeff Hecklinski), they are transitioning their offense and are going to be using the tight ends more, and throw it to the tight ends more. He showed me how I’d fit in there too and if I had to make a comparison, it would be like (Travis) Kelce in Kansas City.”
Any time a recruit narrows his list, there’s an inevitable follow up question of when a decision can come. And that’s the piece right now that he’s the least sure about.
“Just waiting on that gut feeling,” he said with a laugh. “One day I wake up and think ‘Maybe I like this school’ and two days later I think I like another one more. It’s very hard and I don’t want to commit to a school and then wake up a week later and think ‘Maybe I’m not sure about that.’ I just want to be 100 percent sure, all in. I’m excited to make a decision.”
As far as taking official visits, Pedersen said he’s “sure” that he’d like to take one to all three of his finalists.
“Virtual visits are not ideal but they’re definitely better than nothing,” he said. “The schools are trying their best to show us around campus and show us around the facilities and that kind of thing. So, I’m glad to see that rather than nothing. With Virginia, I was on FaceTime and they showed me around, so it’s obviously not the same but it’s always better than not.”
Whenever those visits finally happen and the decision-making process revs up, there are very clear things that Pedersen, who said he wants to major in business or communications, is looking for in his future home.
“I want to find the one that can prepare me for the NFL the best,” he said. “Which one is going to utilize me the best, utilize the tight end position the best. And then a big one not necessarily related to football is coaches I can trust. Just in general, trust is a big thing.
“So if I can trust them,” Pedersen added, “and they can trust me, then that’s really important to me. And I want a school that can set me up academically with what I want to do if football doesn’t work out, and set me up for life after football.”
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