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Versatile Texas defensive lineman has 'been blowing up'

Nelson Mbanasor watched his brother P.J. Mbanasor rack up 26 scholarship offers throughout the course of his recruitment two years ago. So when the younger Mbanasor saw his recruiting stock begin to take off earlier this spring, he was not overwhelmed.

“After seeing my brother get all those offers, I imagined and hoped I would be able to have that, too,” said Nelson, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive lineman from Pflugerville (Texas) Hendrickson. “Recruiting has been blowing up lately. It is pretty fun.”

In total, Mbanasor has received 15 offers so far. Colorado became the first Pac-12 program to offer him earlier this week. Buffaloes co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini and defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat have both been by to see Mbanasor during the spring evaluation period.

“The Colorado coaches watched my film and saw me in person. They said they like my motor and how I use my hands, and they like how I can play different spots on the line,” he said. “I like them. It is a Pac-12, power conference program.

“I also like what I have heard about the weather in Colorado. I like cooler weather even though I live here in Texas. That is a real good factor for them.”

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P.J. Mbanasor is playing his college football at Oklahoma, but Nelson wants to pave his own path at the next level. In addition to Colorado, he has early interest in Duke, Houston and Bowling Green. Those three programs have also extended an offer.

“I like the academic part at Duke and they have been playing competitive football recently,” he said. “I am really into underrated programs and I feel like Bowling Green is a good place that I would be able to fit in at. With Houston, it is an in-state team with a great coaching staff and they had a great season last year.”

Mbanasor has only had a chance to visit Houston so far but he hopes to take more trips before making his college decision late in the summer.

“I plan to visit some schools, I just don't know when and where quite yet,” he said.

Air Force, Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe, Nevada, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, UTSA, Texas State and Tulsa are the other schools that have offered Mbanasor. He has been hearing from Wake Forest, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State and South Carolina as well.

A first-team all-district selection in 2015 after recording 47 tackles, eight sacks and one forced fumble as a junior, Mbanasor plays the five-technique in Hendrickson's 3-4 defensive scheme. He is one of just three returning starters for the Hawks.

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