Countdown to Kickoff: Ranking the 2020 in-state class (31-35)
With high school football set to begin in Wisconsin in just over one month, BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 50 in-state prospects from a very strong 2020 class.
Rankings are based on film, in-person evaluations and feedback from coaches and players. Five athletes will be released each day until the conclusion of the series.
No. 35: Offensive lineman John Champe
Committed to: Northern Illinois
The word: John Champe, a first-team all-conference selection as a junior, jumped on an offer from Northern Illinois in late June. Though Champe projects to the offensive line at the next level, he did have 32 tackles as a junior. Bemidji State, Southwest Minnesota State, Valparaiso and Winona State also offered during his recruitment.
"I committed to NIU because I really like the coaching staff," Champe told BadgerBlitz.com. "They have a football program with a great culture and history. They also have a great business school, which is what I am interested in studying."
No. 34: Offensive lineman Tyler Pitcel
Committed to: Northern Illinois
Related: 2020 OL Tyler Pitcel hearing from a handful of schools
The word: Another prospect from Wisconsin headed to Northern Illinois, Tyler Pitcel chose the Huskies over scholarships from Air Force, Augustana, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, South Dakota and Southwest Minnesota State. A second-team all-conference selection last fall, Pitcel also qualified for the state wrestling tournament as a junior.
"The recruiting process, while fun, is also very stressful," Pitcel told BadgerBlitz.com. "I was fortunate to have several great opportunities to choose from. It was always the goal to play Division 1 FBS football. The evening before I made my decision I had a great talk with my family and head coach Mike Gnewuch. At that time in my mind it was between Air Force and Northern Illinois. Coach Gnewuch helped me think about the pros and cons of each school for both academics and football, and what that would mean for my future.
"I chose NIU for a couple main reasons. First it was the coaches - I felt as though the relationship I developed with Coach (Daryl) Agpalsa was good. He’s approachable and easy to talk to. When I went down to visit this spring I really liked how he interacted with the players and how they ran their practice. Coach (Thomas) Hammock ended that practice with a good team talk. That environment was one I could see enjoying.
"Second was the strength of the football program. NIU won the MAC last year and has a tradition of playing competitive, tough football. I want the opportunity to be on a championship team. Lastly was location to home. NIU is only an 1.5 hours from my house. This means my family will be able to see most of my home games."
No. 33: Linebacker Dalton Elrod
Committed to: Ball State
The word: Dalton Elrod racked up 11 scholarships during his recruitment before he gave Ball State his commitment in late June. Bowling Green, Eastern Illinois, Miami (OH), Minnesota State, Navy, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Southwest Minnesota State, Western Illinois and Winona State also offered Elrod, who had 66 tackles as a junior.
"I committed to Ball State University because of the awesome staff and players, the academics and the family-vibe you get while with the team," Elrod told BadgerBlitz.com. "I really felt like I was wanted because of how hard the staff - especially Tyler Stockton, the middle linebackers coach - recruited me. Most importantly, the way he treated my family while on both of my visits. It was an awesome experience."
No. 32: Tight end Jake Novotny
Committed to: Northern Illinois
The word: Jake Novotny, who had 22 catches for 406 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, committed to Northern Illinois this summer. Ball State, Central Michigan, Columbia, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Georgetown, Lafayette, Western Illinois and Yale also came in with scholarships during Novotny's recruitment.
"The biggest thing for me was the culture down there," Novotny told BadgerBlitz.com. "Coach (Thomas) Hammock has created something special and Coach (Tony) Sorrentino, the tight ends coach, treated me like family throughout the whole process. The location - only being two hours away was important, too. I wanted my parents and brothers to be able to come watch me play and now they can. Finally the academic side, they have a great business school and that’s what I want to go into. The high level athletics and playing for championships every year is a really nice bonus."
No. 31: Defensive lineman Max Meeuwsen
Committed to: Navy
The word: Max Meeuwsen had quite a junior year at Bay Port High School. The Navy commit earned defensive player of the year honors in his conference after he racked up 65 total tackles and 18 sacks for the Pirates. Meeuwsen followed that performance with a state title in wrestling by upsetting current Wisconsin defensive lineman Keeanu Benton in the heavyweight finals.
"My dad played football for Navy so when I was younger, we took a couple trips out to Annapolis for some of his reunions," Meeuwsen told BadgerBlitz.com. "I would say that’s when I fell in love with not only the town, but the culture of the school. And as I grew up it was always just my goal to go there.
"When I got the offer from Navy I was really excited but realized that I should take the time to actually make sure it’s what I wanted. But in the end it just made me love everything about the school even more - the culture, discipline, location and the coaches. It all just feels like the exact fit for me."