LONG BEACH, California — Daylen Austin is among the West Coast recruits who has been targeted most by schools across the country. The four-star cornerback from Poly High School in Long Beach, California holds offers from many of the top programs in college football. He has been able to take several visits already in the process, and he is beginning to take a stronger look at which schools will be most in play when it comes time to make a decision.

The Rivals250 recruits plans to announce a top 10 some time this month, but for now he has been building relationships and sorting through his options while taking as many visits as he can to help him through the process.

“It’s a fun experience knowing that I’m getting a lot of offers,” he said. “At the same time, I feel like it’s a blessing and a curse because the more offers you get the more schools you really have to get to know and break down.

“... So, I’ve just been enjoying the process. Talking with my family and they’re helping me sort it out. I’m starting to break it down, and I have a top 10 coming soon.”

Now into the spring of his junior year, Austin has been able to get a better feel for what it means to be a highly-targeted recruit. He has a better understanding of which programs want him the most, and that has also been helpful when deciding the schools that will eventually make up his short list.

“I’ve noticed a difference between an offer and recruiting,” he said. “Recruiting, they’re really gonna be on you texting every week, their whole staff is really messing with you and communicating with the whole staff. That’s really what recruiting is, and then offers are totally different.

“They offered me and then don’t talk to me any more, so I’m starting to pay attention to those schools, too.”

One school that continues to actively recruit him is Oregon. The Ducks hosted Austin for a visit last month giving him an opportunity to get a closer look at the team under its new coaching staff.

The four-star prospect, whose brother Alex plays at Oregon State, has been to Eugene in the past but getting his chance to interact with Dan Lanning and the new coaches at Oregon gave him some more perspective on the program.