Q&A: Wayzata T Ben Lauer Discusses Official Visit and Potential Future as a Gopher

[GopherHole Staff]

Q&A: Wayzata T Ben Lauer Discusses Official Visit and Potential Future as a Gopher

Wayzata Tackle Ben Lauer Discusses His Official Visit and Potential Future as a Gopher
By Chris Monter

Ben Lauer, a 6-foot-7, 255-pound senior tackle from Wayzata, went to Minnesota on an official visit this weekend. He helped lead the Trojans to the Prep Bowl, where they lost to Eden Prairie 13-3. He was named to the KARE-11 Sports and StarTribune All-Metro teams and the Associated Press All-State squad. GopherHole.com caught up with Lauer after the visit to learn the latest on his recruitment.

Lauer, who was a key blocker for Trojans running backs Antonio Ford and Erik Rotti, has a 3.75 GPA and a 30 ACT score and hopes to be an engineering major.

GopherHole.com caught up with Lauer after the visit to learn the latest on his recruitment.

GH: How was the visit this weekend?

Ben Lauer: It went well. I had a lot of fun. It was a good time. I liked hanging out with all the coaches and everything. Friday night, we went to dinner at Fogo De Chao with all the coaches and the host players. Saturday, we toured a couple of academic buildings and meet with academic advisors and we toured all the football facilities. My dad was with me on Saturday.

GH: What did they say to you?

Ben Lauer: They said that they really want me there. They are trying to figure out how they are spacing the scholarships, since they only have a few left and they have got a lot of holes of fill. He (Coach Kill) is going to come over to the high school after the dead period in a few weeks and he is going to come after that and talk about that and figure out what we are going to do.

GH: One possibility would be that you would grayshirt (enroll in a college in January). Is that something that they have talked to you about?

Ben Lauer: Yes, he brought that up a little bit and that is a possibility. Either that or they will offer right away, I’m not really sure yet.

GH: Do you have any other visits planned in the near future?

Ben Lauer: I think the middle of January, I will visit North Dakota State and North Dakota. Probably on the same weekend.

GH: Who else are you hearing from besides those three schools?

Ben Lauer: Northern Illinois is another one and a little bit from Georgetown.

GH: Have any of those other schools offered you?

Ben Lauer: UND and NDSU offered. Northern Illinois said that if Minnesota doesn’t offer, they will, but they don’t want to really want to just offer because they know that I probably would not go there, if Minnesota offered, too.

GH: If Minnesota were to offer, is that probably where you would end up?

Ben Lauer: I probably would end up there.

GH: Would you stay at tackle, if you went to Minnesota?

Ben Lauer: He said that he was looking into that. Probably tackle, but he was going to watch some film again and see if I can play guard. We’ll see what happens.

GH: Have you ever played anything besides tackle?

Ben Lauer: No, but I would be willing to move wherever they need me to. It’s no big deal to me.

GH: Obviously, if you are more versatile and can play more positions, the better the odds of playing soon, right?

Ben Lauer: Yes, exactly.

GH: What things have you really been working on now that the season is done to continue to improve yourself as a player?

Ben Lauer: I basically try to get in weight room. I just need to stronger.

GH: Is it hard when many of your friends know where they are going to college and you are still up in the air? I’m sure a lot of people are always asking you where you are going to school.

Ben Lauer: Not really. I know that I will have a decision made and be going to college in the fall, so it is not a big deal that I don’t know right at this moment.

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[Go4]

is there a limit on how many guys we can gray shirt? i like the idea of gray shirting guys like this.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I don't believe there is a limit but it just affects the amount of scholarships available for next year. It essentially would put Lauer into next year's class.

 

[nsmike]

The problem with gray shirting next year that we have limited scholarships 12 or 13 by most accounts. I count 10 red shirt junior scholarship players on the roster, some of which could be pushed to graduate and open space, but that's also limited.

 

[supadupafly]

the one annoying thing about north dakota and south dakota moving up to D1 is that they now strategically go after a lot of MN kids that in the past we would have often got to the U on a preferred walk-on basis without having to use a full scholarship offer on them. not that this lauer kid from wayzata doesn't deserve a scholly offer from the U. i honestly don't know anything about him. but as noted above in the past some of these types of kids could have been more easily recruited by the U as preferred walk-on types of recruits. now they have more options if they are determined (financial reasons or others) to only go some place if they receive a full scholly as a freshman.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

The problem with gray shirting next year that we have limited scholarships 12 or 13 by most accounts. I count 10 red shirt junior scholarship players on the roster, some of which could be pushed to graduate and open space, but that's also limited.

I would't worry too much about that number. I think we will be able to sign 27 this year (with pushing two kids back). I think we will have more attrition than we will be able to fill with this class (because of scholarship limits).

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

the one annoying thing about north dakota and south dakota moving up to D1 is that they now strategically go after a lot of MN kids that in the past we would have often got to the U on a preferred walk-on basis without having to use a full scholarship offer on them. not that this lauer kid from wayzata doesn't deserve a scholly offer from the U. i honestly don't know anything about him. but as noted above in the past some of these types of kids could have been more easily recruited by the U as preferred walk-on types of recruits. now they have more options if they are determined (financial reasons or others) to only go some place if they receive a full scholly as a freshman.

That's true, but it seems like a lot of the kids we are wanting to walk-on have offers even better than NDSU...Bungum (Army), Michaelson (Wyoming), Larson (Harvard),etc.

But yeah, it's still a good point though.

 

[howieramone]

I can't see taking a kid at a position of strength, when we still have glaring needs at DT and WR.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I can't see taking a kid at a position of strength, when we still have glaring needs at DT and WR.

We have two DT's and a few other offers out.
We've got a few WRs committed too (Fruechte, Harbison, Hinds (plus a few last year)).

I think we are looking to grayshirt to spread some of the OL around, but I don't think this class (and for sure next class if he GSs) will need a T.

 

[howieramone]

My best guess is Hinojosa is the most likely to play as a true freshman. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about Harbison and Hinds signing on the dotted line.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

My best guess is Hinojosa is the most likely to play as a true freshman. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about Harbison and Hinds signing on the dotted line.

I think Harbison depends on if we can keep him committed, I would be pretty surprised if Hinds ends up a Gopher.

 

[eker0016]

The problem with gray shirting next year that we have limited scholarships 12 or 13 by most accounts. I count 10 red shirt junior scholarship players on the roster, some of which could be pushed to graduate and open space, but that's also limited.

I think the number of scholarships we have next year is irrelevant. If he does grayshirt, look at it as our first commitment for next year's class. I hope we take at least one lineman in next years class, and if Lauer is one of them, great!

Even more beneficially, Jerry would not have to work to maintain his commitment, and Lauer could potentially have a grayshirt+redshirt year to get beefed up for B10 play.

 

[howieramone]

I should probably first say I like Ben Lauer. When I saw his grades and read he wants to major in engineering, I thought this is a match made in heaven. Good kid and top school. But, I don't think Kill was exaggerating when he said he wishes he had 35 tenders. That looks about right to fully balance this squad. I don't believe in stars on an individual basis, but I wouldn't take an OL or QB without a lot of them in the near future.