Freshmen recruits bring promise as seniors leave
Otterbein sifts through thousands of recruits to find the right fit
Mark Hensch
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Sports
The Chargers' head football coach Keith Otterbein casts a wide net in his search for new players. Each year Otterbein and his staff scour Michigan as well as parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois for the best of the best in high school players. In reviewing his picks for the 2009 fall season, it's clear next year's lineup will be a powerful force in Division II football.
"With each recruitment drive we have maintained a high level of athleticism in our football team," he said. "Our new recruits will continue that level of excellence."
This is their hope. Otterbein said recruitment is a challenging process. In a typical year, he said, the college scouts 6,000 to 7,000 high school players within its recruiting radius before settling on about 25 candidates. Though he always tries to find the best talent, Otterbein maintains he is the first to admit the system has kinks.
"Recruiting is not an exact science as it is extremely hard, maybe even virtually impossible to quantify skill level," Otterbein said. "We cannot judge anyone's heart, desire and football IQ, so we have no way of knowing who is a good football player for sure."
The situation is further compounded by the unorthodox system that Hillsdale runs on. As a private institution, the college grants its football program 36 full-ride scholarships covering tuition, room and board, dining expenses and miscellaneous school fees. This lump sum, Otterbein said, must be distributed between the entire team. Such a feat is no easy task, given Hillsdale's academic rigor.
"We are in a unique situation for recruitment as we throw in the academic formula," Otterbein said. "Our pool of potential athletes shrinks very fast as not everyone can succeed at Hillsdale College."
This year's recruits are well aware of the challenge. Trent Kramer, a senior at Hudsonville High School in Hudsonville, Mich., said that both Hillsdale's classes and football will be a daunting undertaking. Despite this, the new center said he is ready for his trial by fire both on and off the field.
"The GLIAC is one of the most difficult Division II sections in the country," Kramer said. "I think I am ready for it, as it seems that the coaching staff at Hillsdale cares about not only making us better football athletes, but better men as well."
Patrick Ryan, a senior at Davidson High School in Davidson, Mich., is equally determined. The offensive lineman has earned a full-tuition scholarship and now hungers for a chance to earn it.
"I look forward to juggling academics and sports at Hillsdale," Ryan said. "By the time I leave I want to be one of the leaders who has made a big difference on the team."
"With each recruitment drive we have maintained a high level of athleticism in our football team," he said. "Our new recruits will continue that level of excellence."
This is their hope. Otterbein said recruitment is a challenging process. In a typical year, he said, the college scouts 6,000 to 7,000 high school players within its recruiting radius before settling on about 25 candidates. Though he always tries to find the best talent, Otterbein maintains he is the first to admit the system has kinks.
"Recruiting is not an exact science as it is extremely hard, maybe even virtually impossible to quantify skill level," Otterbein said. "We cannot judge anyone's heart, desire and football IQ, so we have no way of knowing who is a good football player for sure."
The situation is further compounded by the unorthodox system that Hillsdale runs on. As a private institution, the college grants its football program 36 full-ride scholarships covering tuition, room and board, dining expenses and miscellaneous school fees. This lump sum, Otterbein said, must be distributed between the entire team. Such a feat is no easy task, given Hillsdale's academic rigor.
"We are in a unique situation for recruitment as we throw in the academic formula," Otterbein said. "Our pool of potential athletes shrinks very fast as not everyone can succeed at Hillsdale College."
This year's recruits are well aware of the challenge. Trent Kramer, a senior at Hudsonville High School in Hudsonville, Mich., said that both Hillsdale's classes and football will be a daunting undertaking. Despite this, the new center said he is ready for his trial by fire both on and off the field.
"The GLIAC is one of the most difficult Division II sections in the country," Kramer said. "I think I am ready for it, as it seems that the coaching staff at Hillsdale cares about not only making us better football athletes, but better men as well."
Patrick Ryan, a senior at Davidson High School in Davidson, Mich., is equally determined. The offensive lineman has earned a full-tuition scholarship and now hungers for a chance to earn it.
"I look forward to juggling academics and sports at Hillsdale," Ryan said. "By the time I leave I want to be one of the leaders who has made a big difference on the team."
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