Beth Long’s weekly recruiting roundup

It’s All-American bowl week for the seniors in this years class, with the Semper Fidelis All-American Game in Culver, Ca., U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio and the Under Armor All-American Game in Orlando scheduled for this weekend. The three games are where top prospects show off their talents and compete against the country’s best.

Two area athletes are competing for the West squad at the Semper Fidelis game: Bolingbrook defensive end Micah Dew-Treadway and Providence wide receiver Miles Boykin.

Dew-Treadway, who measured in at 6-4, 270-pounds, will enroll in January at Notre Dame and has already signed his letter of intent.

“I think to be honest it hasn’t hit me yet actually, I think the All-American game will be surreal,” Dew-Treadway said. “I think it hit my mom a lot when I signed, but it hasn’t really hit me yet so we will see. It was hard losing and finishing up high school, but just thinking that it was a big step towards making my parents proud. Towards the end of the season it was real.”

Dew-Treadway knows that there are plenty of things left for him to work on this spring.

“I think my technique has come a long way, I think that is the most important thing in football by far,” Dew-Treadway said. “I think my speed could get better and my strength could get better but I think that is something that I can continue to work on once I get to Notre Dame.”

But the decision wasn’t hard in the end, and Dew-Treadway is looking forward to taking the step forward to college ball.

“Top class in everything, top education, top football program,” Dew-Treadway said. “You can’t really beat it, every Saturday you play in front of millions of people and you get that exposure. You walk out with that degree, you can pretty much go anywhere.”

The game takes place Sunday at 6 p.m. and Boykin, a fellow Notre Dame recruit, is also excited about the opportunity to compete against top athletes from around the country.

“My ultimate goal with the Semper Fi game is to go out there and meet people, and get a chance to know some of them better,” Boykin said. “I just want to have fun, that’s the main thing for me with it. But other than that I would just like to keep getting better.”

Branch adds offers

Montini senior offensive lineman Grant Branch IV is 6-4, 280-pounds and is picking up offers to add to his list.

“I have offers from South Dakota State, South Dakota, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Indiana State and Army,” Branch said.

The first school that extended an offer to Branch was South Dakota State, one that he won’t soon forget.

“I was going into my senior year and they were my first offer, so I was really happy,” Branch said. “What I have enjoyed the most about the recruiting process has been the traveling and meeting the coaches.”