Chris Monter: Bemidji Senior Ernie Heifort Wants Gopher Offer

Donate To GopherHole

No way he could play linebacker with that speed, but I think they could find a good positional fit. Matters how good he is at putting on weight.
 

I want this kid to pile on some weight and play nasty DT at 280 like Karl Klug at Iowa. I think he has all the makings.
 

Buck the Fadgers said:
No way he could play linebacker with that speed, but I think they could find a good positional fit. Matters how good he is at putting on weight.
Click to expand...


Have you seen him play? How do you know how fast he is? I am not questioning your take, I am just curious...
 

He looks like a linemen by height and weight alone.

I am really curious to see what happens to recruiting once the new staff is hired. There are 3-10 guys in the state who may merit offers, it will be interesting to see who gets them and who the staff can get.
 


Rosemountian said:
He looks like a linemen by height and weight alone.

I am really curious to see what happens to recruiting once the new staff is hired. There are 3-10 guys in the state who may merit offers, it will be interesting to see who gets them and who the staff can get.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I didn't know if he played more like a DE who will grow into a college level lineman (DE or DT) or if he was more a traditional MLB (ala Maresh who was a big boy coming out of HS).

You do make a good point Rosemountain, this seems to be a better year than normal to be delayed in recruiting because there seems to be quite a few kids in MN who would probably accept that won't be getting a ton of looks elsewhere but have the potential to help the squad.

Eric Kline
Bjorklund
Heifort
Grayson Levine
Frank Veldman
Austin Harrington
Arton Scott (spelling)
Reggie Gandy
Dylan Ulferts

They all seem like kids who could potentially be decent Big 10 players but most/some of them would probably not get offers from the U if we weren't behind the proverbial 8 ball in terms of recruiting. However, they all seem to be fringe type of recruits who certainly wouldn't be wastes of scholorships.

Rosemountain, I know you follow HS football pretty closely, you could probably add some and subtract some from that list, but yeah, you made a good point.
 

For what it's worth, I coached 11 yrs of HS football and officiated for 6. Have talked to people that have seen him play, including my brother who also coached HS football, and who's daughter is good friends with him. He quit playing hockey to focus on football, and he DOES have enough speed to play linebacker in the Big 10. That is the word I hear from some of the coaches that have coached against him also.
In closing, his dad played football for Bemidji State.
 

Bucknitro said:
For what it's worth, I coached 11 yrs of HS football and officiated for 6. Have talked to people that have seen him play, including my brother who also coached HS football, and who's daughter is good friends with him. He quit playing hockey to focus on football, and he DOES have enough speed to play linebacker in the Big 10. That is the word I hear from some of the coaches that have coached against him also.
In closing, his dad played football for Bemidji State.
Click to expand...

Sounds as if he can skate and chew gum at the same time. Guessing that the young man is a darn good athlete and likely worthy of a scholarship based on Bucknitro's take. Get his verbal Horton!!
 




I think the new coach should get as many of the MN top kids as possible. Sends a good message.
 

Unless the new coach has top recruits waiting, I really hope a half dozen of these MN kids get offers. I'll throw in Jimmy Duffy from MV as my personal local favorite, FCS prospect, but like Heifort has size and speed for several postions.
 

Doesn't the window to talk to recruits open soon (like Sunday?)? I know Horton has said he won't recruit new players, but it would be nice if this coaching search dragged on longer, if he at least had local players like Ernie an official visit.
 

When you have players who really want to be Gophers, it's great if you can get them a scholarship. Sometimes you have to tell them no, of course, but those kids who bleed maroon and gold, when they go back to their hometowns after graduating, they are going to be ambassadors for Gopher football, and inspire other kids to want to play for the U.
 




Bjorkland has gotten Wisconsin offer among 3-4 other in the past week.
 

I sold this kid's dad tickets to the N Illinois game. He said his son was visiting and I had heard of him so I asked him a couple of questions. He said he was getting interest from Mich St, Wisky and I believe Air Force. Brew was on the hot seat so I asked him if that mattered, something to the tune of "this is home".

Would be nice to get him to be a preferred walk-on if he doesn't get the offer. Hope he does somehow. It does a lot for the program to get an outstate kid to contribute in my mind.

His dad looked like he could handle a couple snaps also.
 

Good update

I was curious about this kid earlier in the year; when I spoke with the family earlier this fall they implied that an offer seemed likely from Minnesota. They reported interest from UW and MSU, but that was it. Who knows?

This kid needs to get to a legit combine where he can get his 40 laser-timed and clear up any questions about his speed. Doubt HS coaches in northern Minnesota have too much experience with what 'Big Ten' speed looks like. I'm sure the kid looks like a man amongst boys up there, but so would any athlete with even marginal D-I possibilities.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Have you seen him play? How do you know how fast he is? I am not questioning your take, I am just curious...
Click to expand...

I have seen the kid play several times and no he doesn't have the speed to play linebacker but I think with his frame he could be a very good d-lineman!
 

lakesgopher said:
I have seen the kid play several times and no he doesn't have the speed to play linebacker but I think with his frame he could be a very good d-lineman!
Click to expand...

I had heard that he went to all his Invite camps as a DE.. 6'6" and doesn't even shave yet, plenty room to grow. And as he reportedly has a 3.9 GPA BIG FAST AND SMART!!
 

If a recruit bleeds maroon and gold, I'd take him over a slightly more talented player you have to beg to come here. chances are you're going to get all that player has to offer. Of, no matter how much a gopher fan a recruit is, they still have to be good enough.
 

Guess I should have figured someone would play the outstate coaches not really knowing what Big 10 speed is card would have happend eventually. When I coached, I attended several of Wacker's and Mason's coaching clinics, so I know what I am talking about. Also played with a guy that started his junior and senior yrs for Navy as a strong saftey. Metro schools have more athletes to choose from, but because a kid comes from outstate doesn't mean he doesn't have the skills needed. Look at the rosters of ND and NDSU and see how many "outstate" MN kids play for those programs.
I coached 5 kids that went on to play for UMD, and one also played arena football for 3 yrs. Please don't make a judgement based on were I live or grew up. And I have seen plenty of kids over the yrs with 4.45-4.6 speed, coached a handful, so I would hope I have some idea what I'm talking about.
 


Sorry dpodoll68, but I have because the ones that played for me were timed by college scouts. I will not get in a debate as to what I have seen, because I know what I have seen.
 

Don't be salty

I'm not implying that the kid isn't good/fast enough to play at a given level. What I am saying is that it's easier to evaluate kids with stats when they play among similar caliber athletes.

There are plenty of GREAT out-state athletes, but I'm sure that if the Minnesota coaching staff has bothered to stay in touch with this kid that 1) they know his 40 and 2) there's a reason he hasn't been offered.

Because I'm curious, I would love to see if this kid can be sub-4.8. And not with his HS coach with an itchy stopwatch thumb.
 

To the guy saying he has Big Ten linebacker speed, he doesn't. I would bet he runs a 4.75-4.85 laser timed, which wouldn't get it done. He is a good tackler though, smart, and has a huge body. If he could put on weight they could definitely find a position for him.
 

whoa there

Bucknitro said:
Sorry dpodoll68, but I have because the ones that played for me were timed by college scouts. I will not get in a debate as to what I have seen, because I know what I have seen.
Click to expand...

It's not about what you've seen. It's what the clock says. What coaches and scouts "see" if subject to human prejudice ... the clock is not. Of course there's "football speed" and all that other BS, but the natural tools need to be there.
 

Bucknitro said:
Sorry dpodoll68, but I have because the ones that played for me were timed by college scouts. I will not get in a debate as to what I have seen, because I know what I have seen.
Click to expand...

Thirty-six athletes at the 2010 NFL Draft combine ran a sub-4.6.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/top-performers

And these are the best amateur football players on planet Earth. And they are 21-22 years old, not 17-18. But you've "coached and seen a lot of these guys". Yup, suuuuure you have.
 

It is easier to evaluate against similiar talent, I don't argue that point at all. The 11 yrs I coached I do have to say that Wacker and Mason had coaches from their staffs that always kept in touch with my head coach about the athletes we had on the team. Guys can be faster on a coaches stopwatch for sure, I know that from first hand experience. He may not be fast enough to play linebacker, but don't dismiss that possibility either is what I'm saying :)
One of the fastest kids that I saw play up here, and he wasn't even the fastest, is the top reciever for UMD. The "U" recruited him pretty hard, but his size, not speed is why he ended up at UMD. DJ Winfield is the kid I'm talking about.
 

I guess the way these kids were timed by the scouts must have been off then........ Going by the numbers that I saw written down, but I guess the fact that they didn't use laser timers disqualifies what I saw.
 

I think this kid should get a look. Can't teach height and if he's not fast enough to play LB, beef him up and put him on the d-line.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom