by Paul Clark
It’s a three-team battle for the services of a 2016 specialist from the Chicago area and Iowa State was up first on his official visit schedule this past weekend.
Steven Wirtel is a long snapper from Mount Carmel (Ill.) and has whittled down his list of potential destination schools to the trio of Georgia, Illinois, Iowa State. The Cyclones and Illini have offered Wirtel a full ride and he’ll visit Champaign this coming weekend with a trip to Athens, Georgia, plugged in for the following and last weekend of the recruiting year.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound Wirtel knows a thing or two about Big 12 football because his older brother John is a long snapper at Kansas. After spending the weekend in Ames, the younger Wirtel now knows a lot more about the I-State football program, too.
“On the football side they said all the right things,” Wirtel said. “They are on the up side and they’re going to be good. I liked the rest, too. What I look for on a visit is a feel of home and it had that. I liked everything about the campus and we got a good look at a lot of it.”
Wirtel also sees an opportunity for immediate playing time at Iowa State as the Cyclones’ No. 1 long snapper from a year ago, Jake Rhoads, has left the program.
“There’s a chance to come in right away and be their guy, be their long snapper,” said Wirtel. “That’s obviously something I’m looking for in a situation.”
Punter Collin Downing hosted Wirtel on his official visit and the two would obviously work closely together if Wirtel decided to become a Cyclone.
Iowa State assistant coach Alex Golesh is in Chicagoland today or a quick follow-up in-home visit with Wirtel, and he said both Illinois and Georgia have indicated they’ll be in to see him this week as well. He said a final decision will most likely come shortly after he’s had a chance to officially visit all three schools.
It’s a three-team battle for the services of a 2016 specialist from the Chicago area and Iowa State was up first on his official visit schedule this past weekend.
Steven Wirtel is a long snapper from Mount Carmel (Ill.) and has whittled down his list of potential destination schools to the trio of Georgia, Illinois, Iowa State. The Cyclones and Illini have offered Wirtel a full ride and he’ll visit Champaign this coming weekend with a trip to Athens, Georgia, plugged in for the following and last weekend of the recruiting year.
The 6-foot-4, 207-pound Wirtel knows a thing or two about Big 12 football because his older brother John is a long snapper at Kansas. After spending the weekend in Ames, the younger Wirtel now knows a lot more about the I-State football program, too.
“On the football side they said all the right things,” Wirtel said. “They are on the up side and they’re going to be good. I liked the rest, too. What I look for on a visit is a feel of home and it had that. I liked everything about the campus and we got a good look at a lot of it.”
Wirtel also sees an opportunity for immediate playing time at Iowa State as the Cyclones’ No. 1 long snapper from a year ago, Jake Rhoads, has left the program.
“There’s a chance to come in right away and be their guy, be their long snapper,” said Wirtel. “That’s obviously something I’m looking for in a situation.”
Punter Collin Downing hosted Wirtel on his official visit and the two would obviously work closely together if Wirtel decided to become a Cyclone.
Iowa State assistant coach Alex Golesh is in Chicagoland today or a quick follow-up in-home visit with Wirtel, and he said both Illinois and Georgia have indicated they’ll be in to see him this week as well. He said a final decision will most likely come shortly after he’s had a chance to officially visit all three schools.
