Milan OL Rimmer commits to Duke

Milan offensive lineman Jacob Rimmer traveled to North Carolina this past weekend for unofficial visits with the football programs at the University of North Carolina and Duke.

The visit with Duke must have gone really well because Rimmer tweeted his commitment to the Blue Devils Tuesday afternoon.

“”I am humbled that God has given me this great opportunity to further my education and continue to play football at the collegiate level,” a screenshot of his message on Rimmer’s Twitter feed said. “I want to thank my family for being supportive throughout my recruiting process and my coaches for pushing me to be better everyday!

“I also want to thank my close friends for pushing me in the weight room day in and day out! With that being said, I want to thank all of the college coaches for believing in me to offer a scholarship, but I have found where I belong!” the statement said. “I am thrilled and blessed to announce that I will be verbally committing to Duke University!”

When contacted by phone, Rimmer said there was immediately something different about Duke when he arrived on campus Saturday.

“I walked into the building, and it was like the hair on the back of my neck stood up,” Rimmer said. “It was crazy, but I loved being there and getting to know the coaches.”

Rimmer said the coaching staff headed by David Cutcliffe made it known they cared about Rimmer and wanted him on their team.

“I walked in and talked to some people, and everyone I met already knew a lot about me,” Rimmer said. “That just showed me they wanted to get to know me and wanted me to know they wanted me on their team.”

Rimmer said Cutcliffe was the one who informed him of the scholarship opportunity.

“Coach Cutcliffe is a great guy,” Rimmer said. “If you didn’t know him, you’d never think he was a Division I head football coach.

“He’s very down-to-earth and humble. And I liked talking to him.”

Rimmer, who’s projected as a three-star offensive tackle by 247Sports.com, has about 11-and-a-half months before his national signing day, but he said his commitment to the Blue Devils is firm.

“I like them, and I’m sure I’ll play college football for them,” Rimmer said.

Brandon Shields, 425-9751