Q&A: Sam Schlueter Talks Recruiting, Has Offers From Gophers, Badgers, Spartans

[GopherHole Staff]

Q&A: Sam Schlueter Talks Recruiting, Has Offers From Gophers, Badgers, Spartans and More
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/500847?referrer_id=388419

Sam Schlueter, a 6-foot-6, 272-pound tackle from Victoria (MN) Mayer Lutheran, is considered one of the top linemen in the state. Schlueter has seven offers, including one from the hometown school.

Schlueter helped lead the Crusaders to a 2-8 mark last season, losing to Minneapolis North 58-22 in the second round of the Class A, Section 4 playoffs.

Gopher Hole caught up with Schlueter to learn the latest on his recruitment.

Gopher Hole: Did you have a chance to get to many Junior Days?

Sam Schlueter: I only went to the Gophers' Junior Day, but I am going to the spring practices. I am going to Michigan State and Northwestern this week and I went on a visit to Wisconsin this spring, but it wasn't a Junior Day.

Gopher Hole: Anything else planned in the next month or two?

Sam Schlueter: I am trying to get to Oregon and a possibly some other places like Iowa State, Louisville, maybe. Wisconsin for a practice. Maybe Stanford. We are still looking at it.

Gopher Hole: What college football camps are you planning on attending this summer?

Sam Schlueter: I have not made any plans yet for this summer.

Gopher Hole: How about your high school team? Do you have a lot of players back or did you lose a lot of seniors?

Sam Schlueter: We actually only lost a couple of seniors. I think it was four total, but we are returning our whole offense and our defense is going to be senior-based this year.

Gopher Hole: Obviously, you didn't have the best season win-loss wise last year. What are the expectations this season?

Sam Schlueter: To really step it up and play our hardiest. We are going to have a lot more experience this year and hopefully, we are going to go out and get a good record and play well in the playoffs

Gopher Hole: Have they named the captains for Mayer Lutheran yet?

Sam Schlueter: Yes, they have. I am one of the captains.

Gopher Hole: I assume that you with being a senior that you are going to be more of a leader. Is that something that you are looking forward to?

Sam Schlueter: Yes. Definitely.

Gopher Hole: Are you more of a leader by example or a vocal leader?

Sam Schlueter: I guess that I am a little bit of both. I like to lead by example. If I do something, I want someone to follow in my footsteps, but also be a vocal leader during camp.

Gopher Hole: You mentioned that you have been to a few spring practices already. When you go to those, is there something that you watch for? I assume that you are watching people who play your position, but is there something that you focus on when you are watching practices?

Sam Schlueter: I really like how the coaches coach the team. How they interact with each other? How they act on the field and I like to see how the coaches coach to see if it is somebody I want to play for someday.

Gopher Hole: Minnesota has already offered you. What are you hearing from the Gophers? What are they saying to you?

Sam Schlueter: They like me and really want me to come to Minnesota. They know that I have offers other places, but they think that they can provide some things for me that those other places can't. They are going to keep recruiting me hard.

Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college camps last year?

Sam Schlueter: Last year, I went to an adidas Camp and I went to Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota State and Minnesota.

Gopher Hole: You have seven offers right now from Minnesota, Michigan State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Northwestern and South Dakota State. What other schools are you hearing from?

Sam Schlueter: I get flyers from Purdue. I hear from Syracuse and Louisville. I get letters from Stanford and Oregon, but a lot of it is Big Ten.

Gopher Hole: What would it mean to have the opportunity to play at the Division I level?

Sam Schlueter: It would be great. It would be a good experience. I have the offers already, which is a huge plus. It is something that I am really looking forward to in my career.

Gopher Hole: How about the possible opportunity to play for the hometown school? What would that mean to you?

Sam Schlueter: It would be crazy. I know a lot of the kids that are going there and some that are committed. I just want to see if it is the best place for me. That I fit in and when I go there, I want to feel that it is going to somewhere that I want to be, even if my football career ended. It is going to be somewhere where I want to be for the next four or five years of college.

Gopher Hole: They have a few in-state commitments already like Carter Coughlin, Jojo Garcia and Thomas Barber. Do you know any of the kids very well?

Sam Schlueter: Yes. I have talked to Coughlin and Garcia.

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

Sam Schlueter: I guess it is my ability to do things like pull and play guys that are faster than me and be aggressive and put them on the ground every single play. That is my goal every time.

Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to improve yourself and hopefully be ready for a big senior season?

Sam Schlueter: I am trying to get a lot bigger and a lot stronger. Quicker off the ball and explosive. Work on my technique a lot more, especially pass blocking.

Gopher Hole: Do you watch a lot of football? Are there certain players that you watch when you watch games?

Sam Schlueter: Whenever I am watching football games, I play attention to the tackles and see how they do and how they play.

Gopher Hole: What position are most schools look at you playing in college?

Sam Schlueter: Tackle. Offensive tackle.

Gopher Hole: Left side? Right side? Does it matter?

Sam Schlueter: No, not really.

Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about a time table when you would even decide on a school?

Sam Schlueter: A little, but not really. I am weighing my options right now.

Gopher Hole: Would you like to decide before the school year or does that not really matter?

Sam Schlueter: I am hoping to have a good idea sometime this summer. That is kind of my goal, but if I don't, I'll probably do it sometime early in my senior year.

Gopher Hole: When you finally make your decision on a school, what is going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B and C?

Sam Schlueter: A lot of it is going to be the coaching staff, because all the facilities are great wherever you go, but if I go somewhere. I want to have that great feel that I want to be there and it is somewhere I like all the coaches and all the players. People I want to be around and the big part of it, is going to be the education. I want to go somewhere I am going to be prepared for anything that comes after football.

Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what you would like to major in?

Sam Schlueter: Business, I am thinking.

Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college football games last year?

Sam Schlueter: I did get to go to quite a few. I went to Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Gopher Hole: What Gopher game did you make?

Sam Schlueter: I went to the one that they played Ohio State.

Gopher Hole: What were your impressions of the Gophers this year?

Sam Schlueter: They did really well. They definitely keep building the program every single year. Coach Kill is doing a great job with all the players and I really like how the coach gets with that.

 

[Unregistered User]

Stay home Sam!

 

[El Amin Fan]

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[die hard gopher]

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I like our chances against the other two. Burns had always said a strong academic school could sway him like Northwestern or perhaps Stanford and Vandy if they offer. I can't see him choosing either of those two in his top three over us. Oregon also had shown some interest too so it's nice to see he is deciding soon however they could probably still swoop in late and get strong consideration from him even if he is already committed.

 

[MaxyJR1]

We've got ourselves an old fashioned Big Ten battle for his services. Head to head against the Badgers.


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[#2Gopher]

Stay home and enjoy the company of your friends and family! Everyone would be proud and honored to watch you!

 

[hungan1]

Yikes. I hope he doesn't go to the dark side (badger red).

 

[Donovan]

We have not lost any big prospect to Wisconsin in awhile, let's keep it that way!!

 

[nsmike]

If he wants to major in business, all three schools are close, according to US News & World Report, but there's a lot more jobs in this immediate area.

 

[Goldteam]

He is going to be at Saturday's scrimmage. Why go there if you aren't golden?

 

[Rescooter]

He is going to be at Saturday's scrimmage. Why go there if you aren't golden?

An interesting scenario: Scrimmage on Saturday, Big 10 Network will be there - Schlueter commits. That would be awesome.

 

[John Galt]

If you look at his timeline, he's been on campus at least 6 times: http://247sports.com/Player/Sam-Schlueter-39196/TimelineEvents

The only other school he's visited more than once is Wisconsin, and he was just at Michigan St. a week ago and picked up an offer.

Since I can't remember a recruit visiting the U 6 times this early in the recruiting cycle and going elsewhere, I like our chances.

 

[husker70]

More proof talent knows no zip code. Mayer Lutheran enrollment under 300. This recruitment made me stretch those brain cells remaining, I think I remember another Gopher tight end, from Mayer Lutheran but I cannot think of his name. Late 80's.

 

[GoldenAle]

247 shows him on an unofficial to the U today....

 

[BJN]

More proof talent knows no zip code. Mayer Lutheran enrollment under 300. This recruitment made me stretch those brain cells remaining, I think I remember another Gopher tight end, from Mayer Lutheran but I cannot think of his name. Late 80's.

Well, Mayer Lutheran is a private school. The local public school Watertown-Mayer has an enrollment of about 450. Combining the two gives a more accurate picture of the community's size. Still a small town environment compared to the big metro schools a lot of recruits come in from, but certainly no Hallock either.

 

[josh087]

The family is from Victoria - so they live a bit closer to the cities than where they've gone to school

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

The family is from Victoria - so they live a bit closer to the cities than where they've gone to school

It is a pretty small difference. Mayer to the U is probably less than 10 minutes more than Victoria to the U.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

More proof talent knows no zip code. Mayer Lutheran enrollment under 300. This recruitment made me stretch those brain cells remaining, I think I remember another Gopher tight end, from Mayer Lutheran but I cannot think of his name. Late 80's.

Craig Wacholz.

 

[husker70]

Thank you.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

I will miss many but have had some nice recruits from a small radius around Mayer-Lutheran over the years including Ron Goetz - Waconia, Jim King & and Pete Kelzenberg - Watertown. Everyone out there considers themselves a part of the metro - a lot of big money hobby farms and a 45 minute drive to downtown.

 

[BJN]

I will miss many but have had some nice recruits from a small radius around Mayer-Lutheran over the years including Ron Goetz - Waconia, Jim King & and Pete Kelzenberg - Watertown. Everyone out there considers themselves a part of the metro - a lot of big money hobby farms and a 45 minute drive to downtown.

Maxx

 

[die hard gopher]

A bit dated info. Sucks for him as this came out today but the interview was done before he decided his top three.

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[husker70]

In addition to Sam, I would like to hear a commitment from Matt Kegel from Chaska. If we are able to land both, it will be one of the best in state recruiting years.

 

[die hard gopher]

In addition to Sam, I would like to hear a commitment from Matt Kegel from Chaska. If we are able to land both, it will be one of the best in state recruiting years.

I think he will decide probably a week or so after he visits Oklahoma State, whenever that is this summer.

 

[Spoofin]

In addition to Sam, I would like to hear a commitment from Matt Kegel from Chaska. If we are able to land both, it will be one of the best in state recruiting years.

It already is without them.


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[husker70]

I think one key to a truly successful recruiting class is leadership and early commitment. We got that with Garcia and followed with a huge Coughlin commit. Players used to want know who else are you looking at? Coaches would outline the targets, and leaders would ask what can I do. Calling was the only mode in old school. I don't know if there is a limit of texts, or calls from a player. And then there were teammates who knew recruits. And they would lend a hand. When Drovich committed last year they were after Kegel at the same time. A Chaska pipeline?

 

[jaymil]

Schlueter did go to the spring game today. He said he's announcing soon and the fact that he visited campus twice in three days has to be a good sign.

 

[Costa Rican Gopher]

Sam Schlueter is a Gopher. Borders closed. Boom.

 

[PurplePride]

We got him!

Ryan Burns @RyanBurnsGI
I can confirm that in-state @MayerLHS OL @samschlueter55 just committed to #Minnesota over Wisconsin & Michigan State

 

[El Amin Fan]