East Feliciana defensive back Cedric Anderson is being recruited by nearly 10 schools, most from the Southland Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
He has also gotten offers from two Ivy League schools, Cornell and Dartmouth.
They’re the types of offers that can help a high school senior narrow his offer list quickly. It’s a list that includes in-state schools Northwestern State, Nicholls State and Southern.
Still, as Anderson practices this week in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s Red Stick Bowl, he hasn’t chosen a school yet — but he knows it will be one of the Ivy League schools.
“Its really exciting. Most people don’t get the opportunity to go to an Ivy League school,” said Anderson, a lean, 6-foot-3 defensive back who will play for the Black Knights on Saturday. “Being from the South, I’m sure its going to be a culture shock, but I’m ready to try it.”
Anderson carried a 4.1 GPA in his latest semester, scored a 25 on the ACT and 1140 on the SAT tests. It caught the attention of the Ivy League schools, which began contacting him this year in late June.
Going off to college at either Hanover, New Hampshire, or Ithaca, New York, means his family will have limited opportunities to see him play in person, but they have been supportive.
“You know, my mom wants me to stay close to home so she can have a hand on me,” said Anderson, whose father, Cedric Anderson Sr., is East Feliciana’s coach. “My dad is telling me, ‘Go where you’ll be happy, and go where you’ll graduate.' ”
This week at Red Stick Bowl practices, Anderson has made coaches happy with his long frame and his athletic ability. He has also impressed coaches with his intelligence, a trait Anderson has shown when taking instructions to their literal limit.
“If you tell him how to do something wrong the first time, he’s going to do it perfectly wrong every single time,” Black Knights coach Dwayne Thomassee said. “You’ve got to make sure you tell him how to do it right because he’s that cerebral.”
Anderson mostly played cornerback for East Feliciana but is trying out safety this week. Its been a smooth transition, Thomassee said.
“He’s a long kid with a lot of athleticism,” Thomassee said. “I’m sure he was looked upon as a leader at East Feliciana, and right now he’s leading our secondary.”
Anderson has also enjoyed making new friends and being on the same team with players he used to face. Four of East Feliciana’s six rival schools in District 8-2A have players participating this week, and Anderson has made the most of his time as an all-star.
“Its been great this week,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of new people. Some of them I know from basketball, but they’re all good people, and real down to earth. Everyone is level-headed and cool.
“We’re just trying to win this game.”