Next Level
B-W's Keefer adds offer No. 3
by
Marlin Lee,
2/8/2010
Scholarship offers keep rolling in for the state's class of 2011 with Baldwin-Woodville tight end/linebacker
Jake Keefer (6-4, 215) recently picking up his third Division I-FBS scholarship offer.
“Washington State offered me this past Friday,” Keefer told WSN on Sunday afternoon.
The WSU Cougars' offer joined ones previously extended by the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University.
In addition to those three schools, UCLA, Stanford, Northwestern and Tennessee have all expressed interest as of late.
“I also made it down for Iowa's Elite Junior Day a few weeks ago and it went good,” Keefer said.
In other news, Keefer said he has added some muscle and increased his weight from 210-pounds to 215-pounds.
A two-way standout, Keefer was named WFCA first-team all-state, Associated Press second-team all-state, WFCA all-region,
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram first-team all-area and first-team all-conference at linebacker; and WFCA first-team all-state, WFCA all-region and first-team all-conference at tight end as a junior.
Keefer received WFCA all-region,
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram first-team all-area and first-team all-conference honors at linebacker as a sophomore after totaling 57 solo tackles and 87 assisted tackles. He was also named first-team all-conference at tight end that season. Prior to that, he was a second-team all-conference defensive end and honorable-mention all-conference tight end as a freshman.
2010 WFCA All-Star Game Rosters
by
Marlin Lee,
2/5/2010
2010 WFCA All-Star Game Rosters- Saturday July 17th- Oshkosh
North D1-3 Large
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School
Jymani Bryant LB 6-0 185 Oshkosh North
Micheal Bennet DB 5-11 180 Hudson
Pascal Paul QB 6-2 183 Merrill
Ryan Ledvina DB 5-10 170 LaCrosse Central
Cody Seibel LB 6-2 210 Kewaskum
David Ihlefeldt SB 5-11 190 Green Bay Notre Dame
Brandon Zolp DB 5-11 166 Kewaskum
Taylor Cameron DB 6-5 190 Oshkosh North
Chas Larson DL 6-2 205 Hudson
Trey Demler QB 6-1 188 Oshkosh West
Joey Berg DB 5-9 155 Seymour
Rocky Larson OB 5-10 165 Somerset
Kody Wilson DB 6-4 183 Marshfield
Matt Craggs DE 6-7 220 Kimberly
Andy Kros SE 5-11 175 De Pere
Ryan Danczak SE 6-2 175 Marshfield
Steve Lichtfuss SB 5-10 200 Appleton North
Joey Sweeney FB 6-1 215 Tomah
Connor Hanson SB 5-10 170 Ripon
Matt Reilly DB 6-1 170 Ripon
Austin Sikorski SB 5-10 185 SPASH
Shane Rockweiler FB 6-0 180 Reedsburg
Ben Wunrow DL 5-9 205 River Falls
Tremayne Williams LB 6-1 212 Appleton North
Ian Murray LB 6-3 215 Plymouth
Kolby Knuth LB 6-3 215 Appleton North
Andy Marks TE 6-3 220 Berlin
Sam Van Alstine LB 5-10 160 New London
Kevin Richert DE 6-3 228 Bay Port
Travis Welch DE 6-2 220 Menomonie
Jason Hengel DL 6-2 220 La Crosse Central
Tom Ogren LB 5-10 200 SPASH
Peter Koher DE 5-11 210 Menasha
Rob Wendt C 6-3 235 Somerset
Cody Siebert C 6-2 215 Menomonie
Tony Romenesko OT 6-1 300 West DePere
Cody Evers DL 6-4 330 Little Chute
Justin Burton OT 6-3 270 Kimberly
John Banovetz OG 5-11 252 SPASH
Ben Heindel OT 6-0 280 DC Everest
Taylor Gabriel OG 6-4 296 Manitowoc
Ryan Schmitz C 6-0 245 Plymouth
Matt Eggen OT 6-5 290 La Crosse Logan
Joe Hackbarth OT 6-1 267 Fond Du Lac
Dallas Lewallen DL 6-6 300 Berlin
Nate Piel TE 6-4 220 Wausau West
Charlie Koehler DE 6-4 245 Pulaski
Coaching staff
Bruce Larson Head Coach Somerset
Adam Kowles Asst. Coach Hudson
Brian Pottinger Asst. Coach Reedsburg
Dan Hill Asst. Coach Rice Lake
Chris Kujawa Asst. Coach Oshkosh North
Dan Knaus Asst. Coach Plymouth
John Rivard Asst. Coach Somerset
South D1-3 Large
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School
Lucas Speaker LB 5-11 205 Homestead
Michael Eshun DB 5-9 165 Edgewood
Ryan Barwick QB 6-4 205 West Allis Central
Kyle French K/P 6-2 180 Menomonee Falls
Lechein Neblett WR 6-0 175 Madison Memorial
Eric Gerber DB 6-1 185 Stoughton
Brian Crook RB 5-10 190 Arrowhead
Drew McAdams QB 6-1 190 Madison East
Darren Anderson LB 6-1 210 Waunakee
Nate Angles DB 6-0 175 Waukesha West
Mike Westrich WR 6-3 194 West Allis Central
Ian McKechnie WR 5-10 175 New Berlin Eisenhower
Brad Slomkowski DB 5-11 195 Kenosha Bradford
Alec Carr RB/LB 5-11 185 McFarland
Geoffrey Bacon WR 6-1 180 Milwaukee Riverside
Leighton Settle RB 5-10 190 Madison West
Cole Myhra RB 6-0 200 Menomonee Falls
Jeff Lewis RB 6-2 210 Brookfield Central
Nick Malinowski DB 5-10 175 Hartford Union
Adam Kaalberg DB 5-11 175 DeForest
Matt Boerner LB 6-2 200 Arrowhead
Jeremy Gordon DE 6-3 225 Milwaukee Riverside
Brian Kroll DB 6-0 190 Whitefish Bay
Bryan Spakowicz RB/LB 6-0 205 Pewaukee
Kerwin McKay DB 6-1 190 Kettle Moraine
Eric Reimer LB 6-1 230 Sussex Hamilton
Nick Jauch LB 5-11 195 Middleton
Eric Zeitler LB 6-1 220 Wisconsin Lutheran
Mitch Ziegler TE 6-3 230 Kenosha Bradford
Zak Epping OL 6-4 290 Kenosha Tremper
Tyler Merlo LB 6-1 225 Waterford
Jake Schall OL 6-2 270 Slinger
Jake Ninneman OL 6-3 275 Oregon
Evan Rosa OL 6-3 280 West Allis Hale
Tom Scherer OL 6-2 215 Jefferson
Drew Gough OL 6-4 245 Middleton
Jake Irwin DE 6-4 250 Waunakee
Justin Barber OL 6-2 255 Homestead
Mitch Severson DE 6-3 225 Waunakee
Austin Barlow OL 6-2 280 Monona Grove
Zach Tamblyn OL 6-3 310 Waterford
Andy Wroblewski OL 6-2 260 Franklin
Bryce Gilbert DT 6-1 285 Brookfield Central
Luke Sebald TE 6-4 230 Wisconsin Lutheran
John Laihinen DE 6-4 235 Homestead
Joe Cychner DT 6-0 285 Lake Geneva Badger
Coaching Staff
Al Minnaert Head Coach Madison Edgewood
Tim Simon Asst. Coach Middleton
Mike Minnick Asst. Coach DeForest
Dan Westrick Asst. Coach Madison Edgewood
Steve Gee Asst. Coach Jefferson
Jed Kennedy Asst. Coach Kenosha Bradford
Calvin Matthew Asst. Coach Milwaukee South
North D4-7 Small
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School
Justin Sinz QB/P 6-5 235 Edgar
Tom Sawyer QB 6-1 175 Gilbralter
Andy Davis QB 5-11 175 McDonell
Dan Sailer RB 5-10 175 Regis
Dan Pope RB 6-0 185 Webster
Brad Jaeger RB 5-10 165 Marion/Tigerton
Adam Esselman RB 5-10 225 Colby
Michael Kaiser RB 5-10 185 Loyal
Ryan Miesbauer RB 5-10 210 Northwestern
Taylor Dayton WR 6-4 190 Clayton
Derek Watton WR 6-3 175 McDonell
Cody Wilz WR 6-2 180 Weyauwega/Fremont
Zach Honadel WR 6-0 170 Altoona
Jake Puzio WR 5-9 160 Elk Mound
Kevin Derick H/SL 5-8 160 Northwestern
Jayson Smolenski OL 6-2 295 Phillips
Aaron Esala OL 6-5 310 Ashland
Ben Rubenzer OL 6-2 255 McDonell
James Beyerl OL 6-0 240 Colby
Joshua Reyners OL 6-0 270 Wrightstown
Phil Rutz OL 6-5 270 Amherst
Cole Peterson OL 6-1 210 Marathon
Cody Halpin OL 5-9 200 Loyal
Chris Krech OL 6-4 285 Prescott
Indy Spindler DL 6-1 260 Stratford
Matt Maenner DL 5-10 190 Regis
Josh Knorr DL 6-1 225 Shiocton
Doug Wagner DE 6-2 195 Edgar
Jake Wszelaki DE 6-4 245 Wausaukee
Andy Lichtfuss DE 6-0 215 Oshkosh Lourdes
Dakota Deleasky DE 6-0 220 Elk Mound
Andy Borchardt ILB 5-10 195 Edgar
Joe Schartz ILB 5-11 195 Iola-Scandinavia
Tyler Zimmerman ILB 6-1 205 Bruce
Kyle Stapelton ILB 5-11 220 Omro
Levi Felske OLB 6-1 210 Flambeau
Nathan Olson OLB 6-4 200 Pacelli
Brayden Wienke OLB 5-10 160 Clear Lake
Tim Wayne OLB 5-10 165 Plum City
Ben Ruechel OLB 6-2 205 Oconto
Nick Schouten DB 6-1 180 Glenwood City
Ryan La Marre DB 5-11 175 Suring
Shawn Hoehn DB 5-10 165 Gilman
Luke Brown DB 5-10 165 St. Croix Central
Jake Bauman DB 5-11 175 Iola-Scandinavia
Alex Tassoul DB 6-3 180 Southern Door
Coaching Staff
Jerry Hannack Head Coach Elmwood
Dick Jones Asst. Coach Elmwood
Mark Traun Asst. Coach Elk Mound
Duane Rogatzki Asst. Coach Oconto Falls
Ray Baranczyk Asst. Coach Manitowoc Roncalli
Peter Lawton Asst. Coach Northwestern
Josh Fizel Asst. Coach Spooner
South D4-7 Small
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School
Frank Ames OL 6-1 270 DeSoto
Tanner Andrews LB 6-3 200 Darlington
Joe Belisle OL 6-3 230 St.Mary’s Springs
Brandon Booth OL 6-2 260 Brodhead-Juda
Ryan Bright DB 6-2 195 New Glarus-Monticello
Nate Braaksma DL 6-4 230 Cambria-Friesland
Jordan Bryson DL 6-1 210 Darlington
Jeff Burggraf OL 6-2 225 Lancaster
Dakota Cable LB 5-10 175 Lodi
Joe Carl DB 6-2 170 Fennimore
Ethan Douglas LB 6-2 210 Brodhead-Juda
Nick Dunkleberger QB 6-0 170 Lake Mills
Bryant Edge LB 6-3 235 Iowa-Grant
Cody Endres DL 6-0 252 Lodi
Brian Fliess QB 6-0 160 Catholic Central
John Frederick DB 5-9 170 Cuba City
Wil Goodman DL 6-2 260 Lake Country Lutheran
Spencer Jacque LB 6-0 205 Cedar Grove- Belgium
Mitch Jaeger WR 5-11 165 Racine St. Catherine
Josh Jenkins WR 5-10 160 G.E.T.
Chad Johnson DL 6-2 245 DeSoto
Cole Lewis WR 6-6 200 Prairie Du Chien
James May WR 6-2 190 Evansville
Kyle McCoy RB 6-0 175 Prairie Du Chien
Nathan Nagel DE 6-2 232 Big Foot
Kyle Noble LB 6-1 215 Lancaster
Cody Odegaard DB 6-2 175 Poynette
Anthony Parker RB 6-0 170 St.Mary’s Springs
Wayne Paulus DL 6-4 240 Cedar Grove-Belgium
Quinn Pieper OL 6-4 275 Dodgeland
Kyle Riemenapp WR 5-10 160 Iowa-Grant
Andy Schmidt OL 6-5 240 St.Francis
Josh Schroeder WR 6-0 175 Watertown Luther Prep.
Dustin Sorrentino LB 5-10 191 Big Foot
Sean Sparrgrove OL 6-1 215 Potosi
Ben Tenpas DL 6-2 245 Nekoosa
Taylor Udelhofen DB 5-9 170 Potosi
Sam Wagner RB 6-0 175 Catholic Central
Michael Walker RB 5-10 195 Big Foot
Jared Wartinbee QB 6-3 200 Lake Country Lutheran
Jeremy Weaver LB 5-11 225 Evansville
Matt Weinheimer LB 6-0 210 Dodgeland
Conrad Weitz OL 6-2 260 Wild Rose
Chad Wyss DL 6-4 220 New Lisbon
Alex Zart DL 6-1 275 Fennimore
Coaching Staff
Ken Taylor Head Coach Watertown Luther Prep.
Dave Burgess Asst. Coach Greendale Martin Luther
Scott Hilber Asst. Coach Nekoosa
Aaron Mack Asst. Coach Iowa-Grant
Steve Murphy Asst. Coach Lake Mills
Dave Puls Asst. Coach Lodi
Chris Zablocki Asst. Coach Cedar Grove-Belgium
Milwaukee Marquette 2011 DL Mark Scarpinato nets scholarship offer
by
Marlin Lee,
2/3/2010
And it begins again.
National Signing Day 2010 isn't even over yet (11:24 p.m. as I'm writing this) and the recruiting process has already gotten underway for the state's class of 2011.
WSN has already reported on recent scholarship offers received by Kenosha Bradford's Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin and Iowa), Baldwin-Woodville's Jake Keefer (Wisconsin and Indiana), and Brookfield Central's Sam Rohr (Minnesota), but it appears yet another member of the class of 2011 has received their first Division I scholarship offer.
“Illinois State offered me on Monday,” Milwaukee Marquette class of 2011 defensive lineman
Mark Scarpinato (6-3, 250) told WSN on Wednesday evening.
“Coach (Spence) Nowinsky stopped by Marquette last week to talk to my coaches and he got my highlight tape. Then we were e-mailing each other back and forth and in one of the e-mails he said he really liked my highlights. Then on Monday he e-mailed me to tell me to call him so that Coach (Brock) Spack could offer me a scholarship, and I talked to him, and he was really excited about me and offered me a scholarship,” Scarpinato explained.
“It feels great to get my first scholarship. I was actually kind of freaked out because my defensive line coach texted me congrats and keep working hard, but I had not read the e-mail yet, so I thought he was playing a joke, but I checked my e-mail and coach had e-mailed and I was pretty excited.”
No stranger to recruiting the Milwaukee area, or even Milwaukee Marquette for that matter, Illinois State extended scholarship offers to three of Scarpinato's teammates last season – Michael Trotter, Marcus Trotter and Cameron Botticelli. None of those players ended up committing to the Redbirds, but that hasn't kept Illinois State from trying again and Scarpinato is interested in them because of it.
“I am interested in ISU; I'm planning on going down to one of their spring practices and checking out what they have to offer,” Scarpinato explained.
But Illinois State fans beware, a whole host of Division I-FBS schools have expressed early interest in Scarpinato and they too may soon extend scholarship offers.
“I have been in contact with Coach (Jake) Moreland from Western Michigan and he invited me to a practice. Also, Coach (Travis) Niekamp from Washington State. Iowa has been sending a lot of letters. Indiana and Minnesota have my film and I am just waiting for them to look at it because of Signing Day. Wisconsin is sending letters and Coach (Bob) Bostad invited me to Junior Day. I can’t really tell if anyone is really close to offering, but I guess time will tell,” Scarpinato said.
A strong candidate to be ranked amongst the state's top five prospects from the class of 2011, Scarpinato was named Associated Press second-team all-state, WFCA all-region,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel second-team all-area and first-team all-conference as a junior. He also received honorable-mention all-conference honors as a sophomore.
News, Notes & Observations from National Signing Day
by
Marlin Lee,
2/3/2010
On Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin handled National Signing Day in typical Badger fashion securing national letter of intent signatures from virtually every top prospect in the state.
Muskego DL Kyle Costigan, Brookfield Central DL Bryce Gilbert, Waunakee DE Jake Irwin, Berlin OL Dallas Lewallen, Brookfield Central RB Jeff Lewis, Madison East WR Marquis Mason, Milwaukee Marquette DB Michael Trotter and D.C. Everest LB Konrad Zagzebski make up a group of in-state scholarship players that have a ton of athleticism and potential.
What's even more intriguing is the various positions where each of the players could end up depending on their growth and development. Costigan could play on the offensive or defensive fronts; Irwin will start off at defensive end but had a more productive high school career on offense; Lewis could stay at running back or grow into a receiver; Mason may eventually turn into a H-back; and Zagzebski is listed as a linebacker but will almost certainly grow into a defensive end.
One of the things I was glad to see today was Muskego's Kyle Costigan being rewarded with a full scholarship offer rather than the previously reported greyshirt. Costigan will now be able to enroll at UW in the fall with the rest of his classmates rather than waiting until January 2011.
Walk This Way: In the “what the heck do we classify you as” category, Menomonee Falls kicker Kyle French and Milwaukee Marquette linebacker Marcus Trotter have both signed acceptance of admission letters with the University of Wisconsin as preferred walk-ons.
Only problem is neither player really fits the definition of a preferred walk-on. French has been guaranteed a full scholarship offer as soon as he becomes the Badgers' starting kicker, while Trotter is guaranteed three years worth of scholarship money. Both are steals for the Badgers though considering UW doesn't have to necessarily fork out scholarship money early on in their careers.
Also joining the Badgers via the preferred walk-on route were West De Pere offensive lineman Riki Kodanko (6-9, 325), Madison East quarterback/athlete Drew McAdams (6-1, 183), Oregon defensive tackle Jacob Ninneman (6-1, 270), and Oconto linebacker Ben Ruechel (6-1, 198). All of whom should continue the UW walk-on legacy by contributing to depth and on special teams for the Badgers.
A Hole in the Wall?: It's not quite a hole, but there may be a tiny crack in the wall around the state that the University of Wisconsin is famous for referring to.
In virtually ever recruiting cycle the University of Wisconsin will get a commitment from every in-state prospect they offer, but that didn't happen with the class of 2010. Whitefish Bay punter Will Hagerup chose the University of Michigan over an offer from Wisconsin (as well as a who's who of other big-time offers) and Kimberly defensive end Mike Hardy committed to the University of Iowa over the Badgers (and several other Division I schools).
This may or may not be a sign of things to come, but you can bet head coach Bret Bielema and staff don't want to see it become a habit.
MAC No-Shows: Shockingly, not a single member of the state's class of 2010 signed a national letter of intent with a Mid-American Conference school today.
Gone are the days of Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan picking up the University of Wisconsin's leftovers. Instead, schools like Indiana, Purdue and Washington State swooped in and signed potential diamonds in the rough like Cody Evers (Indiana), Xavier Whitaker (Indiana), Justin Sinz (Purdue), and Eric Oertel (Washington State).
G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero: I'd like to give special recognition to Neenah fullback Aaron Armstrong (6-2, 235), Milwaukee Riverside wide receiver Geoffery Bacon (6-2, 205), and Nicolet running back Lamar Johnson-Harris (5-9, 165) for their commitments to the United States Military Academy.
Armstrong had a preferred walk-on invitation from Wisconsin; Bacon had scholarship offers from North Dakota and South Dakota; and Johnson-Harris held scholarship offers from Bemidji State, Minnesota-Moorhead and Minnesota-Crookston, yet all three decided to serve their country by attending Army.
Good luck to all three young men during their time at West Point and beyond.
The Curse of the QB Ends: For the first time since the class of 2004, a quarterback from the state of Wisconsin has signed a national letter of intent with a Division I-FBS school for the sole purpose of playing quarterback.
Not since former Hartford Union signal caller Brian Brunner signed with Central Michigan has the state seen a prospect recruited to play quarterback at a Division I-FBS school, but Arrowhead's Tom Parish ended that drought when he signed with the University of Minnesota today.
The last state quarterback prospect to leave any kind of significant mark at the Division I-FBS level? Arrowhead class of 2003 graduate Tyler Donovan.
The Old Switcheroo: Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came when news leaked that Milwaukee Marquette linebacker/defensive Cameron Botticelli had signed his acceptance of admission letter with the University of Minnesota.
Originally a soft-verbal commit to Illinois State, Botticelli had switched his verbal commitment to Wisconsin following Milwaukee Marquette's state championship game, and was expected to follow teammates Michael and Marcus Trotter to UW, but apparently changed his mind late in the process in favor of Minnesota.
Wisconsin's cluttered depth chart at defensive end seems to be the most likely explanation for the last minute switch.
Remember Me?: A couple of old familiar faces from Kimberly High School reemerged on the Division I recruiting scene today.
Former Papermakers kicker Mike Kusnierz (6-0, 220) was announced as part of the University of Northern Iowa's recruiting class. A two-time NJCAA All-American at Rochester Community & Technical College, Kusnierz will have two years of eligibility remaining at UNI.
Also making his way back to the football field is former Kimberly all-state wide receiver/defensive back Jamison Wells (5-11, 185). Currently an infielder on the Northern Illinois University baseball team, Wells will now officially be a scholarship athlete on the Huskies' football team where he'll have four years of eligibility remaining.
Lack of Division I-FCS Signings: There really weren't many players that signed with Division I-FCS schools this year. North Dakota (3), Drake (3), North Dakota State (2), Southern Illinois (1), South Dakota (1), Northern Iowa (1), and Brown (1) were the only schools to make any kind of mark in Wisconsin this recruiting cycle.
That number should gradually increase though as members of the Ivy League and Pioneer League announce their signing classes much later than the average conferences. Schools like Valparaiso, Dayton, Yale, Dartmouth and Cornell are bound to pick up a few Wisconsinites.
Division II Dandies: Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State all put together some very good recruiting classes and their coaching staffs deserve a big pat on the back for their efforts. Throughout my interviews with prospects across the state, I heard nothing but good things about the coaching staffs from all three schools and prospect after prospect kept bringing up the sense of “family” they felt while visiting each of the three.
Minnesota-Duluth signed a couple of gems in offensive lineman Aaron Esala (6-4, 305) and tight end Mitchell Ziegler (6-3, 230). Both players held Division I-FCS scholarship offers at one time, but chose the Bulldogs instead. Offensive lineman Phil Rutz (6-5, 270) also fielded some Division I interest this past summer.
Minnesota State-Mankato signed the most prospects of any Division II school this recruiting cycle, but it got quality along with that quantity. Offensive lineman Sam Cunningham (6-4, 310) had Division I options and is a huge steal for the Mavericks. All of the Milwaukee area prospects (Ballinger, Forchette, Keys, Paine, Poehls and Rosa) are also excellent players. Perhaps the smartest move of all though was Mankato's tapping into some of the state's top football powerhouses in hopes of setting up future recruiting pipelines. Netting players from Waunakee, Kenosha Tremper, Menomonie, Milwaukee Marquette, Arrowhead and Ashwaubenon should certainly pay dividends for the Mavericks in the future.
St. Cloud State's recruiting class includes a number of all-area and all-state caliber players, but the headliner coming out of Wisconsin has to be Big Foot running back Mike Walker (5-10, 195). If the WIAA Division 4 state championship game is any kind of indicator of what Walker is able to accomplish, the rest of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference better be on their toes. The Huskies also did a good job in the Milwaukee area, most notably, signing West Allis Central wide receiver Mike Westrich (6-2, 180).
UW-Whitewater Reloads: While news of Division III commitments is sparse at best right now, UW-Whitewater seems to be leading the pack in the WIAC in terms of overall quality of recruits. Kenosha Bradford's Cody Brady adds to UWW's depth at running back while Nate Angles, Kellen Miller, Brad Slomkowski, Jimmy Treslley and Brandon Zolp all look to contribute on defense.
Milwaukee Marquette's Senior Class: A plethora of Milwaukee Marquette Hilltoppers made their college decisions official today with defensive back Michael Trotter signing with Wisconsin, linebacker Marcus Trotter accepting a preferred walk-on invitation (with the promise of a future scholarship) with Wisconsin, linebacker/defensive end Cameron Botticelli accepting a preferred walk-on invitation with Minnesota, offensive lineman Nick Rawson signing with South Dakota, running back Brock LaFace signing with Drake, linebacker Nick Gral signing with Drake, wide receiver Marvin Paine signing with Minnesota State-Mankato, and running back John LoCoco committing to the University of St. Thomas (MN).
Defensive back Joe Cannon has a preferred walk-on invitation from Northwestern University, where he is likely headed, but is waiting to hear back from admissions.
Props to Nicolet: Despite finishing the season with a 1-8 record and losing by an average score of 31-8, the Nicolet Knights still managed to have three prospects commit to Division I or Division II colleges.
Running back Lamar Johnson-Harris (5-9, 165) is headed to Army, offensive lineman Ethan Peck is a preferred walk-on at Indiana University, and running back Reggie Dillingham (5-11, 230) signed with the University of Charleston in West Virginia.
Brookfield Central prospect bags Big Ten scholarship offer
by
Marlin Lee,
2/2/2010
With National Signing Day just mere hours away from beginning, all eyes are on where the best and brightest from the class of 2010 are headed to play college football next season.
But that doesn't mean the class of 2010 is the only graduating class with recruiting news to report. Earlier this morning, WSN reported Kenosha Bradford running back Melvin Gordon received his second scholarship offer to date thanks to the University of Iowa, joining an offer previously extended by the University of Wisconsin.
Now it appears yet another member of the state's budding class of 2011 has garnered a Big Ten scholarship offer.
“I received an offer from Minnesota,” Brookfield Central tight end
Sam Rohr (6-4, 225) told WSN on Tuesday evening.
“I was invited to, and attended, their junior day on January 23. In the beginning of the day, I met with Coach (Tim) Brewster and Coach (Derek) Lewis, the tight ends coach, and made small talk. Then Coach Brewster spoke to all the attendees and introduced his coaching staff. After that they broke us up into offensive and defensive groups. Coach Lewis called my Dad and I out to meet with Coach Brewster in private in his office. While in his office, Coach Brewster said he really liked my highlight tape and that I was the kind of student-athlete they'd like in their program. Next he offered me a full scholarship,” Rohr explained.
A prospect's first scholarship offer is always a memorable and emotional occasion, especially when it comes from a Big Ten school, a sentiment that Rohr echoed wholeheartedly.
“It's always nice to feel wanted, and they made me feel that way. It was humbling and exciting to receive an offer from such a great university so early,” he explained.
“I haven't accepted the offer to Minnesota yet, but I'm very interested in their program. I was very impressed with the athletic facilities, but more importantly, I was extremely impressed with Coach Brewster, Coach Lewis, and the scholastic support they provide the football players. Coach Lewis has rings from both a college national championship and a super bowl championship and I'm sure I could learn a lot from him. Both he and Coach Brewster made me feel like they were interested in me, not only as a football player, but as a student and representative of their university.”
While the University of Minnesota certainly stands out for Rohr right now, we're still an entire year away from National Signing Day 2011 and there's a lot of recruiting left to be done with plenty of other schools in the hunt.
“Currently, I don't have any gauge on whether or not other schools are close to offering me a scholarship,” Rohr said. “Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana have all been consistently writing to me, but none have shown the interest in me like Minnesota. I have also been receiving handwritten letters from Harvard, Kansas State, UCLA and North Dakota State. Northwestern has recently expressed some interest and I've provided them my highlight video and transcripts. I'm told a number of other universities are interested but that remains to be seen.”
Despite not being completely sure where his next scholarship offer will come from, Rohr did indicate that he would like to pick his future college home sometime in the next few months.
“I hope to make my decision before the start of summer camps,” he said.
A honorable-mention all-conference selection as a sophomore and junior, Rohr recently participated in the U.S. Army National Combine in San Antonio, Texas.