John Olmstead, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive tackle from Metuchen (NJ) St. Joseph’s, recently received a Minnesota offer when visiting the school.
Olmstead is considered one of the nation’s offensive lineman in the Class of 2019 and has become a recruiting priority for most of the Big Ten schools.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Olmstead to learn more about his Minnesota visit and early recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You recently visited Minnesota. What were your impressions of the visit?
John Olmstead: Coach Joe Rossi, who I am pretty good friends with, the O line coach. He worked at Rutgers. I don’t know when, but he recruited a teammate of mine when I was a freshman and he was a senior. He is now at Minnesota and wanted me to down for a visit. I love Big Ten schools and I definitely wanted to come out and visit the school. Me and my mom went out.
Gopher Hole: What all did you get a chance to see and do?
John Olmstead: We got to do everything. We were there for three or four days, so we got to see the campus. The facilities are not done yet. I’m sure that you know that, but they had a virtual reality tour of it, which was really cool. Got to see spring practice, which is my favorite part of the day, by far. Got to see the new locker rooms. The stadium is basically brand new. Went to be with the coaches. Didn’t get to meet any of the players. It was a lot of fun.
Gopher Hole: Had you ever been to Minnesota before?
John Olmstead: No. This was my first time.
Gopher Hole: Did your mom enjoy the trip, too?
John Olmstead: Oh, yes, She loved it.
Gopher Hole: Did you get to do anything fun besides football stuff?
John Olmstead: We went to the Mall of America. That was mind blowing. I hadn’t been before.
Gopher Hole: The Gophers extended the offer to you. What was the feeling when you heard about the offer?
John Olmstead: It was mind blowing, because looking at it, I am only so far in the process, getting an offer my sophomore year. I didn’t really think that would work out for me at first, but it did and I’m grateful for it. It is just great.
Gopher Hole: What are the Gophers saying to you?
John Olmstead: That they are a little thin on offensive line right now. Coach Fleck was saying that they don’t have too many offensive linemen and that they need more offensive linemen. I think that they had four or five offensive lineman for spring ball. One actually got hurt the day that I was there. They have a big offensive lineman problem, they were talking about.
Gopher Hole: Does that somewhat appeal to you because most kids want to play right away? The Gophers, due to injuries and other things, have playing time available.
John Olmstead: It does appeal to me, but there could be an opposite (if they sign other linemen), but it does appeal to me.
Gopher Hole: I know that you know (former Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe) Coach Rossi, because he recruited (your former high school teammate) Nick (Krimin) to Rutgers. What is your relationship with Coach Rossi?
John Olmstead: We have a good relationship. I just meet him, maybe three or four weeks ago. We talk on the phone a lot and gotten to know each other and try to build a relationship with the coaching staff, which is hard because we are in different states, but we have a good relationship.
Gopher Hole: You also have offers from Rutgers and Bucknell? What other schools are you hearing from?
John Olmstead: Most of the Big Ten schools like Penn State and Maryland. I got a call from Notre Dame. Most of the Big Ten schools now.
Gopher Hole: Rutgers is the homestate school and they have offered you and your former teammate goes there. What is your relationship with them?
John Olmstead: I have a good relationship with Nick. Obviously, I played with him when he was a senior. I know three players on the Rutgers’ team very well. Mike Cintron. He is the punter for Rutgers and I also know Mike Lonsdorf, who is an offensive lineman for Rutgers, because he went to school with my sister and I meet him in high school. I know them all very well.
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you planning on visiting in the next few months?
John Olmstead: Nothing set for right now. I got the ones that I was waiting. Invites to Junior Days.
Gopher Hole: What Junior Days have you attended besides Minnesota’s?
John Olmstead: Minnesota, Rutgers and UConn.
Gopher Hole: What summer camps are you planning on attending?
John Olmstead: I’ll probably most likely be attending Rutgers summer camp, Penn State’s summer camp and Maryland’s summer camp. The ones right by me, mainly the Big Ten schools right by me.
Gopher Hole: Have you talked to the Gopher coaches about trying to get back out here, maybe during the season to catch a game?
John Olmstead: Oh, yes. I have talked to them. I definitely want to get back there when I can. Right now, it is really busy with traveling around for football stuff. It is crazy, but I definitely want to get back up there. Probably try to make a camp this summer or like you said, make a game this fall.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are a good student with a 3.9 GPA. Have academics always been important to you?
John Olmstead: Of course. My parents have always stressed that. My sisters were all student-athletes. Three of my sisters played Lacrosse in college and one played basketball in college. My dad played football (tight end) at Pace University and my mom played basketball.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought much about a possible college major?
John Olmstead: Sports management or maybe Criminal Justice. Something in the line of that.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are only a sophomore and probably ways from making a college choice, but what are going to be the main factors that make you pick School A or School B or C?
John Olmstead: You have got to love the school. Coaches can move from place to place as you probably know and you have got to love the school, of course. If you don’t love the school and you are going after because you love the coach, you never know. I’m sure you know, coaches can leave. You just have to love the school in general.
Gopher Hole: St. Joseph’s finished 9-1 last season, losing to Paramus Catholic in the first round of the playoffs. What are the expectations for the upcoming season?
John Olmstead: I think it is going to be great. We’ve got everyone coming back for our skills (position). We got hit on the line a little bit. We got P.J. Parr, who is going to Bucknell University this year. He graduated. Our center is gone. He is going to Maratime. Our other big tackle is going to Chicago and another guard of our is going to play rugby in college, so we got hit pretty hard on the line, but I think that some of the Class of 2018 kids can step up and the Class of 2019 and my grade. Those kids didn’t really play last year, but if they can step up, we’ll be fine. We lost some kids on the D-line, too, but I think that we have kids who can fill their spots and step right up just as well. I think that we are looking pretty good.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
John Olmstead: As a football player, definitely how I can move. That is something that most of the coaches in college love. I am 290 pounds and I am pretty fast.
Gopher Hole: I know that a lot of the schools that you like are in the Big Ten. What would it mean to play in that conference?
John Olmstead: It’s amazing. I grew up watching that conference. It is around us and around me with a lot of the schools in the conference. I would love it, honestly. I grew up watching it. I know that some people say that I am focused on Big Ten, but I would play anywhere I go. It’s not that I just want the Big Ten. I like the Big Ten, but I also like the ACC. I like all the conferences and I am taking everything I can get.
Gopher Hole: Is it nice now with the Big Ten coming to Rutgers, that if you went to Rutgers or any of the Big Ten schools, that your family and friends could watch a lot of your games on the Big Ten Network, no matter where you went.
John Olmstead: That is true. I do live 10 minutes away from Rutgers, but you never know. I am still looking around. It would be nice if they could come to every game, but they will probably go to most of my games, if I go somewhere else. They could fly out. With the Big Ten Network, there is a lot of media coverage and nationally every weekend.