6-3, 275 and lightning quick to the quarterback, Azziz Shittu of Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, California (Merced County, Central California, with an enrollment of 1700 students) is one of the most sought-after defensive linemen in the country.
Originally a verbal commit to Stanford, Shittu recently reopened his recruiting, and two dozen schools have offered him scholarships. He’s ranked 12th in the Rivals Top 100, and has a 3.71 grade average to go with his 76 tackles and 6.5 quarterback sacks last season. His team went 12-1, conference champions in California ‘s 2A division and Shittu was first team all-conference, going against schools from Fairfield, Vallejo and Sacramento.
Shittu was MVP of USC’s Nike Camp earlier this spring, and that success has brought him scholarship offers from Stanford, USC, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and a host of others. The Ducks haven’t offered because he hasn’t yet visited, but they’ve expressed interest. Shittu wants to play in the NFL someday (his school has sent Bernard Berian and Chuck Compton to the pros) but he’s also a serious student. In May he told usc247sports.com:
“Getting a good education is No. 1,” said Shittu. “But when I choose a school, it will also be because of the relationship I have with the coaches and players. It’s important to have a solid relationship with your position coach because that’s who you will spend a lot of time with for four years of your life.”
An equally exciting fact about the defensive lineman is that he doesn’t turn 17 until July 27th–he’s still growing. Recruiting sites list him a 320-lb. bench, a 370 squat, and a top time in the 40 of 5.32. That’s not a favorable time, but in his highlight video and camp video, he looks plenty agile, defeating some of the best offensive linemen on the West Coast, including Oregon target Jordan Simmons.
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