BleedGopher
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per the Omaha World Herald:
Wednesday’s signing day made it hard to believe that two years ago, Carroll’s Austin Schirck wasn’t even playing football.
Then a sophomore at 6-foot-5, 160 pounds, Schirck figured his future was in another sport.
“I thought I was going to be playing basketball,” he said. “As the year progressed, I was gaining muscle mass and weight. The football coaches here were visiting me in school, and the football players were convincing me to go out.”
Schirck had a change of heart his junior year and focused on football.
And after a senior year in which he finished with 35 1⁄2 tackles and eight sacks as a defensive end, Schirck signed his letter of intent to play at Minnesota on Wednesday.
Schirck, now 267 pounds, committed to Northern Iowa last August primarily thanks to the relationship he forged with then UNI defensive line coach Bryce Paup.
But weeks ago, Paup joined the Minnesota staff in the same position under the newly hired P.J. Fleck, who capped a four-year stint as coach at Western Michigan. Fleck guided the Broncos to a 13-0 record last year before falling to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.
Soon after Paup headed to Minnesota, Schirck reached out to him. A short time later, he took an official visit to Minneapolis to meet Fleck and the staff. He was also offered a scholarship.
“I felt like I was committed more to a coach rather than a school,” said Schirck of Paup.
Fleck, too, is excited about the Carroll recruit. Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweeted a comment from the Minnesota coach about Paup: “Don’t know how got out of that state.”
Schirck said he assumes he will redshirt during his true freshman season. He will play as either a defensive lineman at 285 pounds or a tackle at closer to 300 pounds.
“He’s off the charts in terms of his raw abilities,” Carroll coach Dennis McCartan said. “He’s only got two years of varsity experience under his belt, so I think they’re just scratching the edges in terms of what he’s capable of doing.”
http://www.omaha.com/neprepzone/iow...cle_0a671c7c-6ae1-5443-98a3-9ef6c2f7177a.html
Go Gophers!!
Wednesday’s signing day made it hard to believe that two years ago, Carroll’s Austin Schirck wasn’t even playing football.
Then a sophomore at 6-foot-5, 160 pounds, Schirck figured his future was in another sport.
“I thought I was going to be playing basketball,” he said. “As the year progressed, I was gaining muscle mass and weight. The football coaches here were visiting me in school, and the football players were convincing me to go out.”
Schirck had a change of heart his junior year and focused on football.
And after a senior year in which he finished with 35 1⁄2 tackles and eight sacks as a defensive end, Schirck signed his letter of intent to play at Minnesota on Wednesday.
Schirck, now 267 pounds, committed to Northern Iowa last August primarily thanks to the relationship he forged with then UNI defensive line coach Bryce Paup.
But weeks ago, Paup joined the Minnesota staff in the same position under the newly hired P.J. Fleck, who capped a four-year stint as coach at Western Michigan. Fleck guided the Broncos to a 13-0 record last year before falling to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.
Soon after Paup headed to Minnesota, Schirck reached out to him. A short time later, he took an official visit to Minneapolis to meet Fleck and the staff. He was also offered a scholarship.
“I felt like I was committed more to a coach rather than a school,” said Schirck of Paup.
Fleck, too, is excited about the Carroll recruit. Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweeted a comment from the Minnesota coach about Paup: “Don’t know how got out of that state.”
Schirck said he assumes he will redshirt during his true freshman season. He will play as either a defensive lineman at 285 pounds or a tackle at closer to 300 pounds.
“He’s off the charts in terms of his raw abilities,” Carroll coach Dennis McCartan said. “He’s only got two years of varsity experience under his belt, so I think they’re just scratching the edges in terms of what he’s capable of doing.”
http://www.omaha.com/neprepzone/iow...cle_0a671c7c-6ae1-5443-98a3-9ef6c2f7177a.html
Go Gophers!!