Nacogdoches’ Jacob Bragg Talks Recruiting + Prepares for State Track Meet [VIDEO]

One of East Texas' top offensive linemen has the state shot put competition coming up, but is still looking forward to the 2013 football season.

Nacogdoches' Jacob Bragg won gold at last weekend's Class 4A Region II track and field championships with a shot put throw of 51 feet, 4 1/4 inches. Bragg will compete in the UIL state meet May 10-11 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, but the 6-foot-3, 300-pound starting center for the Dragon football team has the gridiron on his mind.

"Right now until I the pads get on, (shot put) is my No. 1 thing," Bragg told ETSN.fm on Tuesday evening. "Once that's over, it's full bore. I'm all in. I've just gotta focus (on shot put) these next two weeks."

Bragg, who power cleaned 330 pounds and squatted 600 pounds earlier this week, holds football offers from Louisiana Tech and Kansas. He said he's received interest from several other schools as well, including a few recently.

"Stanford called my coach and wants my transcripts. Georgia Tech did the same. A lot of coaches are coming down for spring football. It'll be a fun time," Bragg said. "The University of Houston, I think they might offer, but I don't know for sure yet. I'm gonna have to go down there and check them out and talk to the coaches a little more. The coaches from UT called our coach. I'll be at state in two weeks and they asked if I could see them while I'm at state."

Bragg and defensive end Greg Roberts (6-5, 215) are Nacogdoches' biggest names entering the 2013 season. Bragg caught attention less than a month ago when he earned Offensive Line MVP honors at the April 7 Nike Football Training Camp in Dallas. The NFTC hosted some of the top players across the region, including athletes from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Roberts, the son of the former Oklahoma offensive lineman and 1978 Outland Trophy winner who played five years in the NFL, was offered by Baylor in late March.

Bragg said for the most part, he enjoys the recruiting process, but it can have its negatives.

"It's just really up and down. It's a day-by-day kind of thing. You can be up one day and down the next," Bragg said. "If I had to sum it up, I enjoy it even if there are a lot of lows in recruiting."

Bragg said the Dragons, who had a disappointing winless season in 2012, have put in more work this offseason than he's ever seen during his high school career. He believes the results will show this fall.

"We're gonna be a lot better this year. We've worked so much harder than we've worked before," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind we're gonna win games. Our whole defense is returning."

But in the short term, the future Division I FBS lineman is ready to compete at state in the shot put.

"At regionals all I did was power throw and I threw it out that far. I'm learning a new technique of throwing and I think I can get it out there and I think I can really compete for gold at state," Bragg said. "It depends on a lot of things but I really think I can get gold. I've just gotta keep working."

Nacogdoches starts spring football practice Tuesday. The Dragons' spring game is 5:30 p.m. May 28.