Alex Egurbide, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound wide receiver from Westlake (CA) Westlake Village, made an official visit to Minnesota January 31st.
Alex Egurbide, a 6-6, 200-pound wide receiver from Westlake (CA) Westlake Village, made an official visit to Minnesota January 31st and could be a late addition to the Gophers 2014 recruiting class.
The outstanding student-athlete recently caught up with Gopher Hole about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: How was the visit to Minnesota?
Alex Egurbide: It was awesome. I had a lot of fun.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you looking at right now?
Alex Egurbide: I am waiting to hear back from M.I.T.. Minnesota, University of San Diego and a walk-on at Northwestern and Oregon.
Gopher Hole: When are you hoping to have a decision made on where you are going to be playing football next season?
Alex Egurbide: I am still kind of waiting to see if I get into Stanford and M.I.T. Once I hear from them, I’ll know where I am going to be, probably.
Gopher Hole: I’m assuming that you have already been accepted to Minnesota, right?
Alex Egurbide: Yes, I have been accepted Minnesota, Michigan and Purdue.
Gopher Hole: Are any of those schools looking at you as a scholarship player or more as a preferred walk-on?
Alex Egurbide: Most of them are as a preferred walk-on. I had offers from Ivy Leagues and Holy Cross, but the timetable really didn’t work out. I was waiting to see what else I could get, so their classes filled up and that was that.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you are a high academic kid. What is going to be the main factor that makes you pick School A over School B or C?
Alex Egurbide: I am looking for a good blend of academics and athletics. Obviously, the most important part is making sure that I take care of my future and setting myself up for my life after college, but I want to get a good experience and try to play football at the highest level I can and I am confident that I can play D1 football.
Gopher Hole: What schools did you have a chance to take official visits to besides Minnesota?
Alex Egurbide: Besides Minnesota, I took officials to Harvard, Holy Cross and the University of San Diego.
Gopher Hole: How did Minnesota find out about you?
Alex Egurbide: Me and my dad busted out a bunch of tape after my sophomore season and during my junior season, so the coaches saw it and we reached out to them and they came back to us and we started communicating from there.
Gopher Hole: Have any of the Gopher coaches been to your house?
Alex Egurbide: No. One of the coaches was at the school, but he just talked to my head coach. I had basketball
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a wide receiver?
Alex Egurbide: Size. I am more of a possession receiver. I am not afraid to go up and get a high ball or go across the middle. Mostly shielding defenders away with my body and making the tough catches.
Gopher Hole: Is there a player in college or pro football that you compare yourself to?
Alex Egurbide: I don’t like to compare myself to those guys. Obviously, I have a lot of work to do before I get to that level. I know that some of the local newspapers in my junior year compared me to Calvin Johnson, but I think that is a stretch. I still have a lot of work to do before I am anywhere close to that.
Gopher Hole: Is there a player that you really like to watch in either college or pro?
Alex Egurbide: Calvin Johnson.
Gopher Hole: You also play basketball. Do you play any spring sports?
Alex Egurbide: No. I used to play baseball, but I stopped playing, so I could focus on my lifting and getting faster and stronger in the offseason.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about a possible college major yet?
Alex Egurbide: I am thinking about chemical engineering or mechanical, but probably chemical engineering.
Gopher Hole: A lot of the schools that you are looking at are highly regarding for their engineering programs. Is that something that is appealing to you in that list of schools?
Alex Egurbide: Yes. That is definitely a big factor. I know that Minnesota has a good program for that.
Gopher Hole: What are the Minnesota coaches saying to you right now?
Alex Egurbide: Talking to Coach Kill, he said that they were really excited to have me out and they are really excited about me. They are looking for me to walk-on eventually and hopefully earn a scholarship. They said that they have a good tradition with that. That was exciting to hear. They really stressed that a preferred walk-on is just another guy on the team. It is one of their family and they are not treated any different.
Gopher Hole: What all did you have a chance to see and do in the Twin Cities during your visit?
Alex Egurbide: It was pretty cold outside, so we tried to stay indoors as much as we could, but I got to see all the football facilities, which were awesome. I saw a little bit of life on campus. I went out with one of the freshman wide receivers.
Gopher Hole: Did you know Drew Wolitarsky at all? He is a fellow California guy.
Alex Egurbide: I knew him. We used to play against each other.
Gopher Hole: What did he tell you about Minnesota because it is obviously a long distance from where you both are from?
Alex Egurbide: He said that it is cold, but it is worth it. He says that he is having a great time. Obviously, he got a chance to play early and that is what I am looking to do and play early.
Gopher Hole: Has it been stressful going through the recruitment process not knowing where you are going to be going?
Alex Egurbide: A little bit. It is kind of exciting knowing that everyone wants you, but it is a little stressful for me and my family at the same time.
Gopher Hole: Do you get a lot of your friends or even teachers asking you where you are going to school?
Alex Egurbide: Yes. Everyone is asking me the past couple of months. That is all I have been hearing.
Gopher Hole: When are you hoping to have a decision made?
Alex Egurbide: I don’t know. I am still waiting for some of these other schools, so as soon as I can make one, I will. I don’t want to commit somewhere and then feel like I didn’t go through all my options. I kind of want to get everything out on the table and then make a decision from there once I know what I have.