Dietzen ahead of his class
With his junior season still two months ahead of him, Jon Dietzen already has two Big Ten offers in his pocket.
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Nebraska, and most recently Wisconsin, have offered the 6-foot-5, 305-pound in-state offensive lineman from Seymour.
"I happened to be working in the weight room when Jon told one of the guys on our team about the Wisconsin offer," Seymour head coach Matthew Molle told BadgerBlitz.com. "I gave him a call right away because I figured some people would want to know about it and I wanted to get my story straight. He was really excited. Any time your home-state school shows that they want you, I think that makes a kid feel real good. I know that Jon was very excited.
"Nebraska was the first school at the party and they decided pretty early that Jon was someone they wanted to take a close look at. He took an unofficial visit down there for their Big Red Weekend and he had a good time. They don't invite a lot of sophomores and I know Jon really loved it down there, too.
"Certainly both schools are fine universities. For Jon, it's a good situation because he has two great opportunities out there. It's flattering and I hope he can stay humble and continue to work hard throughout the process."
Dietzen's recruitment is unique for Molle not only because of his age, but also because Seymour does not often produce Division 1 talent. Dietzen, who earned his offer at the Badgers' summer camp this week, is the first known prospect in Wisconsin's 2015 to hold a high-major scholarship.
"You never really know as a high school coach how recruiting is going to work out for a player," Molle said. "For me at Seymour, we haven't had -- at least to my knowledge -- a big Division 1 football player. As a coach you always think you know what your player is capable of, but with recruiting that can always change.
"But with Jon, it's not shocking to me because I don't see a lot of guys who are 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, who are built like a mountain man at that age, like he is. Looking at him you say to yourself, 'if's he not a Division 1 prospect, I don't know who is.' But in the meantime you just have to see how he gets noticed and we're very excited for Jon."
According to Molle, Dietzen's success as a hockey player has helped him develop as a lineman.
"Well he's a hockey player with that combination of size and strength, so that's a scary thought to be on the ice with someone that size coming at you," Molle said. "I think playing hockey growing up, that has helped his balance and movement. The first question with guys his size is if they're able to move well enough, and Jon is able to do that. He's very young but he's very strong and he puts that muscle to good use.
"He's the same way on the field. As a sophomore he was just taking it all in and by the end I think he was figuring out just how dominant he could be. I think what you'll see over the next two years is him taking that to the next level. The will power is there and the ability is there for him to do that."
The two schools from the Big Ten are the dominant players right now for Dietzen, though Molle believes many more will come calling.
"Those two are the big ones right now because a lot of teams, I'm sure, are still focused on the class of 2014," Molle said. "But I would imagine more schools start to get involved, but it might be tough for them with Nebraska and Wisconsin already on the table.
"Because it's so early for him we really haven't talked specifics about his decision. All I can present as a coach is to look at it as a great opportunity and to pick a school that will fit you best in all aspects. I know education will be a top priority and both Nebraska and Wisconsin provide you with that."