BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—Greg Townsend Jr. probably would have attracted attention from colleges because of his pedigree alone. But he has wowed colleges with his ability.
His dad is Greg Townsend, a 13-yard NFL veteran who played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the Philadelphia Eagles. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, the elder Townsend had 109.5 career sacks to rank No. 16 on the NFL’s career list.
The younger Townsend, at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, plays at defensive end and tight end at Beverly Hills High School. He had 73 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and three blocked PATs last season for the Normans, who went 4-6.
Tall with long arms, Townsend has the potential to start early in college, but it depends on how he fares against much bigger college players. It is said that what he lacks in bulk he makes up for in determination.
Townsend first attracted attention at the USC Rising Stars Camp in 2009. Now he’s considered one of the top strongside defensive ends in his recruiting class.
Townsend has at least 15 offers, and is said to favor USC, Washington, Oregon, TCU and Miami. TCU is his father’s alma mater.
The Trojans are a strong contender, although Southern California faces a two-year postseason ban and fewer scholarships because of NCAA sanctions stemming from the ineligibility of Reggie Bush.
Townsend has also said he likes Oregon because of the state-of-the-art facilities which mega-booster and Nike co-founder Phil Knight helped build. He also likes the college town atmosphere in Eugene.
But he likely won’t commit until signing day, instead focusing on improving the Normans. He has been working out with his father and his big brother over the summer.
He has said his goal is to amass more than 10 sacks and 80 tackles his senior season.
