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Pierce (Woodland Hills, Calif.) College tight end Trey Dunkelberger was offered by Syracuse on Tuesday and the Orange immediately moved to the top of his list, he said in a series of text messages.
“There’s a 99 percent chance that’s where I’m going,” Dunkelberger said.
Dunkelberger, listed at 6 feet, 5 inches and 245 pounds by Rivals.com, said he reached out to the Orange coaching staff about a week ago, after former SU wide receiver Corey Cooper informed him that the team was looking for a tight end.
Cooper, who transferred during preseason camp, initially reached out via Twitter to ask about the Junior College Pro Bowl All American game, which Dunkelberger will play in in early December. Dunkelberger quickly saw SU as a strong destination.
When he spoke over the phone with tight ends coach Bobby Acosta on Sunday, Acosta told him that Syracuse is moving toward “more of a tight end centered offense” under recently promoted offensive coordinator Tim Lester, Dunkelberger said, and that his speed would allow him to be versatile in the system.
Rivals.com lists Dunkelberger’s 40-yard dash time at 4.55 seconds and a quick look at his highlight reel shows him lining up outside the tackle as well as split out wide for Pierce.
“It didn’t take long for (Acosta) to let me know they were very interested,” Dunkelberger said.
Dunkelberger, who will visit Syracuse on Dec. 5, said he doesn’t plan on making a decision before then. Growing up in the Northeast and attending Governor Mifflin (Shillington, Pa.) High School, he said playing only four hours from home would be appealing and gives SU another edge.
Dunkelberger called Ohio State the only school that he could see himself at besides SU, but that he’s been informed he’s a backup option for the Buckeyes. OSU assistant head coach/defensive line coach Larry Johnson has been in touch with Dunkelberger since the spring.
Dunkelberger listed Louisville as another top choice, though the Cardinals have not offered yet. He expects to be extended an offer soon, and plans on visiting Louisville either the last weekend in November or the second in December. If it’s the latter, Dunkleberger said he could commit to Syracuse beforehand if the visit goes well enough.
Next on his list are Cincinnati and South Florida, both of which have offered. Purdue, Florida Atlantic and Massachusetts have also shown increased interest recently.
Dunkelberger committed to Akron in September, but later decommitted after the Zips stopped contacting him following the Cincinnati offer, Dunkelberger said.
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by Stephen Bailey | Syracuse.com
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