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Newton has IU, Purdue on final 8 | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Carmel's Morgan Newton, one of the nation's top quarterback prospects, lists Indiana University and Purdue among eight schools he considers leaders.

Ranked as a five-star player and the seventh-best quarterback in the nation in the incoming senior class by scout.com, Newton lists Clemson, Florida, Illinois, IU, Kentucky, Miami, Purdue and South Carolina, in no particular order. He has taken unofficial visits to each school except Florida, which he hopes to see in July. Newton made an unofficial visit to Kentucky on Monday with his father, John, who played football at Grambling.

"Coming from the (Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference), which is obviously one of the strongest conferences in the state and in the Midwest, you want to play the highest level of football," said Newton, a 6-5, 212-pounder who led Carmel to a Class 5A state championship as a junior last season. "That's one thing we're looking at, just the opportunity to play at the next level and compete at the highest level at those places, as well as the coaching. Location doesn't matter so much. All the intangibles are what we're looking at now and just overall feeling about different schools."

Newton, who has 19 scholarship offers, said he won't rush to judgment, but he will have to eliminate some schools.

Recruits are limited to five official visits, which they can begin taking after the first day of class their senior year.

Signing day is Feb. 4, 2009.

"I'm not going to be doing very many camps, but we still are going to be active in this recruiting business through the summer," he said.