For the most part, though, the 6-foot-7, 300-pound senior offensive tackle for the Big Walnut High School football team is enjoying the recruiting process.

"It's going great," said Schofner, who is in his first season with the Golden Eagles after spending three seasons at Washington Court House. "I'm very thankful for all of it. Ever since I was young, I wished for (the opportunity to play college football) to happen. It's like, wow, it's really happening. It's so nice to know that someone wants me to play for them."

But it's not just someone, or in this case, one college program, that wants Schofner. As of last week, the number of Football Bowl Subdivision teams, formerly Division I-A, which had offered him a scholarship had grown to 24. The list includes Boston College, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and six Big Ten Conference schools -- Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Chances are the list will continue to grow, as Schofner, who is ranked the 37th-best senior offensive tackle in the country and the 16th-best prospect, regardless of position, in Ohio by Rivals.com, has been getting bombarded with phone calls and text messages from college recruiters almost on a daily basis since the start of the season.

For example, last Wednesday evening he received nine phone calls from recruiters. Most of the calls came from schools that already have offered a scholarship, but a few came from schools that are contemplating making an offer.

"I get a lot of phone calls," Schofner said. "Sometimes I have to turn off my (cell) phone, because I get so many."

College scouts also have attended Big Walnut's games to get a firsthand look at Schofner. Scouts from Northwestern, Michigan State and Wisconsin watched him play in the Golden Eagles' 17-10 loss to Delaware on Oct. 9.

"When that first started happening, I was thinking, 'I don't want to mess up,'" Schofner said. "But now, I'm used to it. I don't think about it."

Big Walnut coach Joe Weaver can see why so many colleges are interested in Schofner.

"He's a heck of a ballplayer," said Weaver, whose team was 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the OCC-Capital Division before playing New Albany last Friday. "He's a big kid, he's a strong kid, he has good feet and he works hard."

The recruiting process unofficially began for Schofner before high school. The summer before his freshman year at Washington Court House, he attended a football camp at Ohio State. Before the camp ended, Akron, Bowling Green and Central Michigan all had shown interest in recruiting him.

However, of those three schools, only Akron has made a scholarship offer.

"I really didn't want to go to that camp," said Schofner, who transferred from Washington Court House to Johnstown last January before moving to Sunbury last summer. "But I went, and I'm glad I did."

Schofner, who was 6-4, 250, as a freshman, attended the camp the summers before his sophomore and junior years. The latter summer, he was named the best offensive lineman at the camp, receiving a Buckeye helmet for earning the honor. He opted not to attend the camp last summer, in large part because he already had made a name for himself.

After a solid season last year at Washington Court House, Schofner was one of 500 juniors from around the country invited to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl last January at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Although the game was limited to seniors, the juniors went through a combine, which showcased their skills, speed and strength to college scouts.

Schofner, who hopes to be invited back to the game as a participant, has yet to take an official college visit. The NCAA allows football recruits to make five official visits. Among the schools he may include on that list are Kentucky, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

"Those are my main schools," Schofner said.

Another school that could make the cut is Ohio State. Although the Buckeyes have yet to make a scholarship offer, Schofner said they have shown interest in signing him. National Signing Day is Feb. 3, though he doesn't have to make his decision by that date.

"It's kind of nerve-racking. That's why I can't think about that," Schofner said. "I've got to be focusing on our season right now."

Big Walnut closes league play Friday at home against Mount Vernon, which was 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the OCC-Capital before playing Watkins Memorial last Friday. The Yellow Jackets, whose key players include Ethan Abell (WR/DB), Alec Curry (LB), Kody Green (QB) and Jordan Williamson (RB), easily could be 4-3 overall, as two of their losses were by seven points or less. Mount Vernon lost 16-15 to Wooster on Sept. 4 and lost 29-22 to Worthington Kilbourne on Oct. 2.

"It's an OCC football game," said Weaver, whose team beat Mount Vernon 28-6 last season. "There's no such thing as a light or weak team in the OCC."

The importance of winning the game against Mount Vernon is two-fold. If Big Walnut loses to the Yellow Jackets, not only will its quest for a fourth consecutive OCC-Capital championship likely end, but they'll lose any realistic chance of making the playoffs.

Through seven games, the Golden Eagles were eighth in the Division II Region 7 computer standings. The top eight teams in each region make the playoffs.

"We know we probably have to win out to make the playoffs, but we had to do that last year," quarterback Johnny Cannell said, referring to the fact that the Golden Eagles lost two of their first three games last season, but won their final seven to make the playoffs as the seventh seed in their region. "Every week is like a playoff game for us."