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A crucial summer for Savage

Smackover (Ark.) rising senior Jeff Savage got most of his credit last year on the defensive side of the ball, obvious by his 54 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss and six sacks. But the 6-foot-3 and 260-pound also did damage on the offensive side and was up to his dual-threat roles against this spring.
"I am still at tight end, too, and it is my third year to start at tight end," said Savage, who had 32 catches for 328 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. "I am also working both at defensive end and defensive tackle. I am not sure where I will end up in college but I do expect to play on defense. So I want to be able to work at both D-line spots and contribute at both spots. That way I am ready for both positions in college before being thrown into the fire at the next level."
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While working overtime this spring, Savage also noticed several Division I programs stop by, including a few BCS programs.
"Everything went well," said Savage. "I am hearing a lot from Mississippi State. Coach (Dan) Mullen called me and then Coach Melvin Smith came by practice. They want me down there for summer camp and I plan to do that.
"Then Arkansas, Louisville, Tulsa, Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech also came by the school. So it is really starting to pick up and Clemson, Vanderbilt and Stanford have also started to contact me. So it's getting pretty exciting now."
And with a good summer camp showing, Savage believes he could earn his first Division I offers in the near future.
"I know I am going to Mississippi State, Arkansas and Arkansas State this summer," noted Savage. "I also plan to make it to Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe and anything else that is close to home.
"Right now I have an offer from Missouri State and everyone else is telling me they want to see me this summer. A lot of schools are telling me with a good weekend or a good day at camp I could get an offer. So that makes this summer pretty crucial for me and it's something I look forward to a whole lot."
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