Nunez, ranked as the No. 42 defensive end in the country by Scout.com, now favors Virginia, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 20 Pittsburgh and No. 22 Maryland.

"I want to make sure I get a good vibe from the coaches and players," said Nunez, who still .

"I also want to make sure I like the campus and feel comfortable there," he said. "I'd like to play for a program that is doing well and where the fans support the team."

Nunez hasn't taken any official visits yet but is scheduled to visit Oklahoma on Dec. 19, Pittsburgh on Dec. 12 and Maryland on Nov. 22. "But I'm actually not sure if the Maryland visit is going to be official or not," he said.

Either way, Nunez will be attending the Maryland game on Nov. 22 against Florida State. "I love Florida State," he said. "That was my dream school and I don't want to pass up a chance to see them play."

Unfortunately for Nunez, the 'Noles are not recruiting him. "I haven't heard from them," he said.

The Terps on the other hand are recruiting Nunez very hard. "They are in a tough conference and are on top right now," he said.

"I know some guys who go there and they all love it and it's in a great area too," he said. "I love the location. It's close to D.C. and Virginia and there's a lot to do there."

Another plus for the Terps is that they are only three hours from Nunez' home. "That definitely helps," he admitted. "I think that distance might be a big factor. I'd have to really get a great vibe and feeling from a team to want to go far away."

This doesn't bode well for teams like Oklahoma and Michigan State, which Nunez says are a "little too far."

"Oklahoma is like a six hour plane ride and that can be a little annoying," he said. "I don't think I'd want to be doing that all the time.

"But I love how they are a big-time football school," Nunez said of the Sooners. "They've got great tradition and are a winning program every year."

The same goes for the Spartans. "It's a big program too," he said. "They play in a tough conference against great competition and I like their defense. I like how they rotate their players and I think I'd be able to play early there."

While the Sooners are a six hour plane ride away, Virginia is a much more manageable six hour drive. "Virginia is a beautiful school," he said.

"The weather is great and the campus is supposed to be real nice," he said. "They are also a great academic school and the team is doing pretty well. They are having a nice season."

Pittsburgh is also about a six hour drive from New Jersey. "Pitt plays a 4-3 defense and that's what we do (at Hoboken)," he said. "I like how the defensive ends and linebackers are very versatile and it seems like the kind of system that I can fit into."

So with distance being such an important factor for Nunez, why isn't Ruptures on his list? "They were my first offer," he said of the Scarlet Knights.

"But I wasn't getting the right vibe from them," Nunez said. "They've got a lot of commitments on defense already and I want to make sure I go where they actually need me."

Some of the other schools that have offered him are West Virginia, Cincinnati, Temple, East Carolina, Syracuse, Oregon, North Carolina State and Akron.

Nunez has helped lead his team to a 7-3 record and a spot in the second round of the playoffs. He has 53 tackles and nine sacks.

"I get off the ball quickly," he said. "I have quick hands and use them well. I'm a very versatile player and like a hybrid because I can drop back or rush."

Nunez says he can already bench 300-pounds and squat 550, but that's not enough. "I'd like to get stronger," he said. "I want to use my technique better and not just my speed. I'd like to have a stronger bull rush."

Nunez reports a 2.8 core GPA and is awaiting his SAT results.