Chicago (Ill.) Phillips junior offensive tackle recruit Claude Mpouma (6-foot-7, 300 pounds) has been strictly a basketball player in high school, including helping Wendell Phillips High School capture the Class 2A state basketball championship last winter. When the Phillips football team takes the field today for the first day of practice, Mpouma will also be on the field as a new member of the Wildcats football team. Mpouma, who is already holding a handful of FBS football scholarship offers this summer talks about his transformation into a football player and football recruit in this update.

"I really started to think about playing football at my school after we won the state basketball title," Mpouma said. "My freshman year I thought about playing football but then I got wrapped up in basketball. I decided to give football a shot and I've been training for football and basketball all year now."

Mpouma, who is holding a handful of FBS football scholarship offers this summer recapped his latest football recruiting news.

"I have football scholarship offers right now from Miami of Ohio, Kent State and also Marshall. Those coaches made in school visits over the spring and we've been in contact ever since they offered me a scholarship. Minnesota has also been interested and they invited me to come out and see them for a game this season. A lot of the college coaches all want to see some of my early season video this fall. It's just very exciting already adding some scholarships and now I'm working very hard to play as well as I can this coming season. I've been working out and lifting and training for football since the winter. I'm working hard to get caught up and working with my coaches at school on my technique. This season will be my first ever year playing football and I'm just a bit nervous but also very excited about the season."

Mpouma, who relocated from Cameroon to Chicago when he was 14 years old discussed what has been the hardest part of adjusting to life in America.

"Learning a new language. I never spoke anything but french in Cameroon so I really worked hard on learning english. I feel I've been able to pick things up pretty well. I'm more and more confident in speaking english now."

Look for Mpouma to play both football and basketball this school year for Phillips.

"I'm excited to play football, but I'm also still planning to play basketball as well. Recruiting wise I have more offers right now in football. I'm just going to keep playing both sports this year and see what happens with my recruiting in both sports."

Claude Mpouma has scholarship offers from Miami of Ohio, Kent State and Marshall.