Richy Klepal [6′ 5″ 275 lbs | Plant OL]

Bench: 315 lbs
Squat: 475 lbs
Dead Lift: 475 lbs
40: 5.12

Offers: University of Central Florida, University of South Florida

Drawing Interest From: Indiana, Stanford, Ohio State, Miami, Mississippi

Visits: Miami, Indiana

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Richy Klepal received his first two offers just days after the Plant Panthers defeated the Miramar Patriots in the 8A state championship game.

On Monday the University of Central Florida offered Klepal and on Tuesday the University of South Florida followed suit. Klepal is an Indiana native and says the school he grew up watching has showed him heavy interest.

Klepal anchored a Plant offensive line that led the way for the Panthers to post more than 400 yards and nearly 40 points per game.

“I’m really blessed to be in the situation I am,” he said of his recruiting. “It’s almost surreal; I don’t really believe this is how it is. The only thing I can do is just keep working hard, do my best everyday.”

He visited Indiana when the Hoosiers hosted Virginia and says he enjoyed getting to know the players. Klepal and Bobby Richardson, now a freshman at Indiana, played together at Plant last year.

Klepal got his first start last year against Riverview following an injury to the Panthers’ regular starter, a game Plant won 56-7. His next start came the following week, this time versus Armwood.

“That experience definitely helped me a lot with this season,” Klepal said. “I was able to get my feet in the water.”

The 6-foot 5-inch junior grew up playing basketball, typical of an athlete from Indiana. After playing his freshman and sophomore years however he has decided that football is his future and will work on improving on the field rather than on the court.

In addition o spending a lot of time in the weight room Klepal and his family plans on taking a trip to the west coast, probably during spring break he says.

Although nothing is finalized Klepal thinks the family will fly into Oregon and hit Stanford, University of Southern California, California and UCLA.

“I’m really open minded to everything, I just haven’t seen what the west coast has to offer at all yet,” he explained.

To the schools looking at him, Klepal wants them to know that they are getting a “ruthless hard worker that would do anything to help the team win.”