This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For Salem Hills junior Porter Gustin, sleep can wait.
Gustin spoke to The Tribune by phone Tuesday night after striking out seven batters in a six-inning 4A playoff victory against Box Elder.
This weekend, he'll throw javelin at the state track championships in Provo. Before that, very likely, he'll hear from a vaunted college football coach or two about his prospects as a Division I outside linebacker, defensive end or quarterback.
And, he says, he's got a 3.5 GPA to maintain.
His offer list is now up to 34, and it includes most Pac-12 schools and heavyweights like Florida State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Most suitors see him as an outside linebacker, he said, but Oregon, LSU (which has yet to officially offer), UNLV and Wyoming have all talked to him about playing quarterback.
Gustin, whose fastball runs between 89 and 93, says he's spoken to a few schools — including Stanford, USC, Oregon and Oregon State — about playing baseball as well, "if the schedules didn't mix too bad. But only if it doesn't get in the way of football."
He plans to pare down his favorites soon so he can decide on his official visit locations. Gustin said he was told by BYU late last year that they didn't have a scholarship for him, although they have continued to speak with him. Utah State was the first to offer, "which means a lot to me," he said, and he also thinks highly of Utah's coaches and facilities.
He's been surprised by the onslaught of attention, due in part because he sent his tape out later than many prospects.
"It's real busy," he said. "Not a lot of sleep. A lot of stress. But we'll get through it."
Gustin is rated as a four-star outside linebacker by Scout.com. Click here to view highlights from his junior season.
— Matthew Piper
Twitter: @matthew_piper