It is no secret that Cambridge Christian offensive tackle Richard Gouraige is one of the best players in the Bay Area for the 2017 season.
Currently standing at roughly 6' 6.5", 275lbs., Gouraige is the 10th best offensive tackle in the nation, according to 247 Sports.
Richard has returned from Oregon where he took part in Nike's The Opening. He had the opporunity to take reps against some of the best defensive ends and defensive tackles in the country.
"It was a real great oppourtunity to go against the best of the best in high school football," said Gouraige, who is arguably the best OT in the area with Berkeley Prep's Nicholas Petit-Frere. "I just got the chance to compete, work on my game, learn some things, and now I can continue to work on my craft."
Gouraige has 36 offers on the table, but has narrowed down his choices among his close friends and family. While he will not publicly acknowledge his favorite schools, he will be lining up visits and begin to take the steps towards an eventual decision. Through all of this, the most important thing has been relationships.
"I just try to meet with every coach and listen," said Gouraige. "I think the most important thing for me and my family is just those relationships with coaches and staffs. I want to feel comfortable when I make that ultimate decision for college."
"He is a tremendous talent," Cambridge Christian head coach Bob Dare told Spectrum Sports' Chris Torello. "He has all the gifts and blessings to play this game at the highest level of college football. He has a lot to think about. I am behind him and I am excited for him."
According to 247 Sports, some of the tops schools on Gouraige are Florida, Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Alabama. There is no real way of truly knowing, though, because Gouraige has been mindful of the information he puts out there for recruiting sites and reporters to get their hands on throughout this process.
For Richard, it's been all about trusting the process.
"I just want to keep on building great chemisty with all the coaches."