These 3 players from the South Suburban Conference are players that Kill should be talking to this weekend when he has the current and local recruits visiting. I know Bjorklund is visiting and I hope Veldman, the FS from Eastview, and Obarski, the kicker from Apple Valley are coming in for visits also. Obarski is the most accurate and strong-legged kicker to come out of Minnesota in years and the Gophers need to get a kicker like him in this recruiting class. Veldman is a no-brainer from everybody I have spoken to as a safety and Bjorklund is the real deal that is a must-get for Kill. I've watched all 3 play for 3 years and they are all top-end talent who also do well in the class-room. Go get them this weekend Coach Kill. Don't let these 3 get away the way Chase Vogler got away 2 years ago and is leading UMD to the D-2 Semi-finals in Duluth this Saturday from the QB position. I think he could have played for the Gophers...
Bjorklund, Veldman, Obarski
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FreakyDeke
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I don't know much about the three players you listed, but the fact that you suggested that UMD's QB could have played here makes me doubt you as a scout. I'm not saying he's not a good player, but I wouldn't say he "got away" if he is playing D2 ball. If he was offer-worthy out of high school, why didn't he get any div 1 offers?
Bob_Loblaw
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I don't know anything about Obarski, but we definitely need a kicker.
Bjorklund looks light on his feet and he would probably need to get a little stronger, but I think he is Big 10 talent.
Veldman is one of those kids where if he just ran a little bit faster, he'd be getting offers from everywhere. He is tall and has general good size for a safety, tough kid and he might even have some potential as WR. I can't tell you the amount of times I've seen Eastivew just run a fade with him and let him "go up and get it"
This weekend has to include Grayson Levine and I hope he leaves committed to the U.
Bjorklund looks light on his feet and he would probably need to get a little stronger, but I think he is Big 10 talent.
Veldman is one of those kids where if he just ran a little bit faster, he'd be getting offers from everywhere. He is tall and has general good size for a safety, tough kid and he might even have some potential as WR. I can't tell you the amount of times I've seen Eastivew just run a fade with him and let him "go up and get it"
This weekend has to include Grayson Levine and I hope he leaves committed to the U.
SelectionSunday
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Not sure about Obarski, but I'm pretty certain they're taking a long look at Bjorklund and Veldman.
Bob_Loblaw
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Vogler was a really tough kid to scout. He was a WR when he was a JR and he played in a pretty run dominated offense.
I am not 100% sure Vogler would have been a Big 10 QB but I don't think it's too far fetched. The guy is a freshman and he is one of the better QBs in all of Division 2 football.
FreakyDeke
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All I meant is that, usually, if a guy is borderline to get an offer from us, he has offers from a MAC school or NDSU or something. Of course Eric Decker was going to St. John's if it weren't for our offer and that worked out! It sounds like Vogler would have been a perfect walk on, any reason he didn't?
Gopherlovin
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Frank can definitely leap. Took third in the state for high jump, clearing 6-6. Haven't seen him play FB, but watched him in the state tourney for basketball last year, and he had a huge put-back dunk. If he has the hands, he could definitely be a great option on end-zone fades.
GopherHomer
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Sure, if they want to walk on. I don't know what it is about Kill that makes people think this, but if his hiring means we start offering scholarships to every corn-fed player in Southern Minnesota, we are in trouble. Please, let's think a little bigger. I know we probably won't be the factor in recruiting we were with Brewster, but let's not turn into SJU-South quite yet
Bob_Loblaw
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Bob_Loblaw
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The games I saw it really looked like he had good hands. But yeah, I didn't know that he took 3rd in the state in high jump. Veldman might be more suited for WR than S.
MNfootballfan
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Well, I guarentee that UMD had the best Running Back in Minnesota outside of Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, and any other Viking. Isaac Odim would have started for the Gophers in my opinion.
I think Veldman is definately a FS/SS candidate. He's got great height, range and athleticism. What he lacks in speed and quickness he makes up for in instinct and range. I don't think he's WR material on the D1 level, but he's a great tackler and can patrol center field or play in the box on defense.
As for Vogler........the kid was a stud option QB in HS and he still is on the college level. He's absolutely not a D1 quarterback. Not even close.
Veldman was invited to the U this Saturday but he's got a test and a basketball game that day, so he's going to get down there another time. He has not been offered yet.
As for Vogler........the kid was a stud option QB in HS and he still is on the college level. He's absolutely not a D1 quarterback. Not even close.
Veldman was invited to the U this Saturday but he's got a test and a basketball game that day, so he's going to get down there another time. He has not been offered yet.
RodentRampage
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Part of recruiting is getting highly recognized players to come to your school. The other part is doing your own scouting and indentifying players who have talent who have escpaped the notice of other scouts. If you do the latter part, talent won't slip through your fingers. Then there is the aspect of coaching which is getting the maximum out of your players. If Kill does well, Minnesota talent may be seen in a better light.
Pride about Minnesota Kids
I sense an arrogance about your post that rural Minnesota has inept talent. What are your credentials? The other posters have been relating their impressions about certain talent headlined in this thread. Have you seen them play?
Karl Klug of Iowa was from corn fed Southern Minnesota. Chad Greenway was a RB from a small corn fed school in South Dakota who was recruited by Iowa. What is he doing these days?
These kids sometimes develop a little later , but they lots of times come from a strong work ethic background and probably learn their position assignments and can be very coachable. Not all succeed . But some do succeed.
I sense an arrogance about your post that rural Minnesota has inept talent. What are your credentials? The other posters have been relating their impressions about certain talent headlined in this thread. Have you seen them play?
Karl Klug of Iowa was from corn fed Southern Minnesota. Chad Greenway was a RB from a small corn fed school in South Dakota who was recruited by Iowa. What is he doing these days?
These kids sometimes develop a little later , but they lots of times come from a strong work ethic background and probably learn their position assignments and can be very coachable. Not all succeed . But some do succeed.
dpodoll68
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Actually, he was a QB/S/KR/PR in 9-man football.
He's also not a great example, because he's probably the only 9-man player from SD to play at the BCS level in several decades.
If only he wouldn't have been charged with a vary serious crime he may have been.
GopherFan75
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Should we start naming examples of all the metro area kids across the country who turned into great players?
RodentRampage
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There's a good reason to think that talent in rural Minnesota is less than it is in more populous areas. The schools are much smaller, less students means less chances of producing an athlete with D-I talent. It's not that the rural populations are on average any less athletic than anywhere else. There are a lot of players at small schools who might not have even made the team at a larger school. I played 9-man football, we thought it was a pretty big deal if one of our players played D-II football.
On the other hand, a player with marginal talent may be able to work themselves up to being a D-I player, while a student at a larger school would never get the opportunity. It's more likely that the talent is at the larger schools (there is a reason that Class A schools don't play Class AAAAA schools), but we shouldn't assume there is no D-I talent at the smaller schools. The U can't scout them all equally, but good relationships with coaches can help keep the U informed of the talent that is out there at smaller schools.
On the other hand, a player with marginal talent may be able to work themselves up to being a D-I player, while a student at a larger school would never get the opportunity. It's more likely that the talent is at the larger schools (there is a reason that Class A schools don't play Class AAAAA schools), but we shouldn't assume there is no D-I talent at the smaller schools. The U can't scout them all equally, but good relationships with coaches can help keep the U informed of the talent that is out there at smaller schools.
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I was told last night that they are looking at Obarski
Greenway
What position did he play in College? None of those -- correct? That was a point I was trying to make. If an athlete plays a particular position in HS it doesn't mean that is where they ultimately end up.
The small schools I broght up was in response to the " corn fed souther Minnesota "post. I never would say that rural schools have more talent and prospects than larger schools in the metro area. I live in the metro area after growing up in a small town. I know the disparity between them. I do believe that there are more Minnesota prospects than National scouting services do.
What position did he play in College? None of those -- correct? That was a point I was trying to make. If an athlete plays a particular position in HS it doesn't mean that is where they ultimately end up.
The small schools I broght up was in response to the " corn fed souther Minnesota "post. I never would say that rural schools have more talent and prospects than larger schools in the metro area. I live in the metro area after growing up in a small town. I know the disparity between them. I do believe that there are more Minnesota prospects than National scouting services do.