Lawndale (Calif.) defensive back Makell Esteen still has a pair of Pac-12 schools at the top of his board and could make a decision any time.
Esteen is one of the top defensive backs out West and one of the most versatile as well. He has the ability to play corner or safety in college and has been a ball magnet for the last three seasons. He’ll be a four-year starter at Lawndale and has an incredible 19 interceptions in his career.
As a junior, he picked off eight passes to go along with 90 tackles, including eight for loss. He also caught 21 balls for 358 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver but we think his upside is highest on the defensive side of the ball and that’s where most schools are currently recruiting him.
He's a highly instinctive player, always around the football and just has a knack for the big play and being in the right place at the right time. Whether he stays at corner or plays safety will likely be determined by how much bigger he gets two to three years from now and how athletic he stays with added size but wherever he lines up, expect him to make a lot of plays.
On the recruiting front, Oregon and Washington have been the two schools most consistently linked with Esteen and he said that remains the case.
"Kentucky and Nebraska are involved too but I have the best relationship with the coaches from Oregon and Washington,” Esteen said. “With Washington, coach (Jimmy) Lake and coach (Will) Harris are the two coaches I talk with and at Oregon, it’s coach Donte (Williams) and coach Tre (Watson).
“I took an official visit to Washington back in June and really liked it and I’ve been to Oregon for unofficial visits already. They’re both great schools and very unique. Washington does a great job developing DBs and they get guys drafted. Oregon has been recruiting me hard for a while now and I have great relationships with that staff.”
Esteen said he doesn’t have any other official visits planned right now and wasn’t sure if he’ll take any more.
“I would like to take at least one more visit, just to see another school but I’m not sure I’ll do it before I make my decision,” Esteen said. “I think where I’m at right now with the process, I could make my decision any time.
“The biggest factors for me in making the decision will be where I see myself at, where I think I’ll be most comfortable. I don't really have a set timeframe right now for making a decision, like I said, it could come any time, just whenever I feel I'm ready."
. They offered Jackson cuz he has a higher ceiling than Paster due to his length Jimmy likes and they thought they’d need to sweeten the deal for Kell. They didn’t need to at all and now they have to wait for Jackson to pick somewhere so we don’t offend anyone. But the James Smith offer was pretty weird too even tho I like him more than Paster.
