Battle to announce August 1st

American Heritage (Fla.) defensive back-wide receiver Dominique Battle will announce where he will be commiting to on August 1st. Is Syracuse a possibility?

With offers from eight schools and interest from a handful more, American Heritage (Fla.) defensive back-wide receiver Dominique Battle is not lacking for options. So where does Syracuse stand in the recruitment of the versatile six-foot, 170-pound playmaker?

“My top three are Syracuse, Purdue and Cincinnati,” Battle told Syracusefan.com. “Syracuse has great facilities and I really like the coaching staff. Plus they’re a big program, on the rise, and they play in the Big East.

“It seems like they’re good coaches and they know what it takes to get back on top,” he continued. “Definitely the coaching staff [is a major factor]. I have a good relationship with coach Salgado, the defensive backs coach.”

Battle has visited each of his top three schools in addition to Virginia, Georgia Tech and Buffalo. Though he says he doesn’t know where he wants to go and is unsure if he’ll take more visits, he has pinpointed an exact day for his commitment: August 1.

“That’s so I can concentrate on winning states,” he said.

Last year Battles recorded 50 tackles and three interceptions – returning one for a touchdown – and had 19 catches for 363 yards and two touchdowns. He’s being recruited by schools at both positions, but Syracuse’s staff is leaving the door open for him.

“Syracuse wants me at whatever position I feel most comfortable at,” he said.

Another question, though, is how comfortable would he be so far from Florida?

“I don’t have a preference. I don’t get homesick, I travel a lot,” he said.

Battle has little doubt about why so many schools – including offers from the aforementioned top three along with Indiana, Florida International, Colorado State, Buffalo and Army – are hot on his trail.

“I make plays,” he said. “I play aggressive. On offense, I go get the ball. On defense, I jump up and go get the ball, too. I go get the ball at its highest point and I’m strong on defense.”

Come about two weeks from now, we’ll know where he’ll be making those plays for the next four years.