Q&A: Eden Prairie RB Will Rains Talks Recruiting After Scoring 5 TDs in One Game

Will Rains, a 5-foot-10, 202-pound running back from Eden Prairie (MN) High, was named to the Minneapolis StarTribune and KARE 11 Sports preseason All-Metro team and has had a great start to the season, living up to the pre-season expectations.  

 

Rains recently scored five touchdowns in a 41-14 win over Osseo and talked to Gopher Hole about the latest on his recruitment.

 

Gopher Hole: How has the transfer been from Eastview to Eden Prairie?

 

Will Rains: It has been really good. I like the teachers. I like the kids. I like the coaches. It is just a good school and all the kids are polite and nice.

 

Gopher Hole: You had five touchdowns tonight, a personal record. You have to be very pleased with your effort?

 

Will Rains: Yes, I am. The line did very good. It was a very good showing from the line and there were holes everywhere and it was just a good game. A great game.

 

Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment? Are you starting to hear from some schools?

 

Will Rains: Not as much right now. Last year, I heard from some schools. They might come back. I don’t know though.

 

Gopher Hole: What schools were you hearing from?

 

Will Rains: The Gophers talked to me. NIU has talked to me. North Dakota State has talked to me. North Dakota has talked to me and a couple of other schools.

 

Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college football camps this summer?

 

Will Rains: No, I did not get a chance to go to a lot of college camps over the summer.

 

Gopher Hole: What things have you really been focused on to continue to improve yourself as a football player?

 

Will Rains: I have been focusing on my speed and agility like long distance spurts. That is what I have been focusing on a lot this summer.

 

Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a running back?

 

Will Rains: Personally, I think that I am a down-hill power runner. I have to learn my speed and quickness more.

 

Gopher Hole: What is your 40 time?

 

Will Rains: I think 4.6.

 

Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have an opportunity to play Division I football?

 

Will Rains: It would mean a lot to me. I have working on that and dreaming about that ever since I was a little kid. I really want to achieve that dream.

 

Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to many college games the past couple of years?

 

Will Rains: Last year, I went to a couple of Gopher games. I went to a Wisconsin game and in the next week or two, I am attending a NIU game. 

 

Gopher Hole: What have the Gophers been saying to you?

 

Will Rains: In the past, they were saying that I am a good player and I am pretty high on the recruiting list for running back and I just have to keep it up. They send me a lot of mail and game invites. They talked to me a little bit about running back and the school.

 

Gopher Hole: You mentioned the downhill speed, but what things are you working on? It looks like you have been spending a lot of time in the weight room.

 

Will Rains: I have been working. I hit the weight room very hard this summer. Squats, bench, dead lifts to get more power as a runner and speed again. That is my main focus.

 

Gopher Hole: Eden Prairie has a great tradition and has won the past three state titles. What would it mean to be part of a team that has a chance to win another title?

 

Will Rains: It would mean a lot. It is our main accomplishment, but we just have to take every game, game by game to see what happens.

 

Gopher Hole: You were mentioned in a Star Tribune articles before your junior season as one of the standouts of the Minnesota Gopher football camp. What do you think that you did to stand out?

 

Will Rains: I was very physical. I did well against the middle linebackers in the running back-middle linebacker drill.

 

Gopher Hole: You said that you didn’t go to any camps this summer. Do you think that has hurt your recruitment a little bit and that you are not hearing from as many schools as you would have if you had attend some camps?

 

Will Rains: I had a broken ankle at the end of last season that slowed a lot of stuff down.