Blakley, Olges hit the road
It’s a busy time on the recruiting calendar as colleges are busy hosting junior days.
Nazareth’s do- it- all junior Devin Blakley is a player on many colleges’ radar. Blakley plays safety and running back and returns punts for the Roadrunners, who lost in the Class 6A state- title game.
He has offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Iowa State and Toledo. Blakley recently visited Miami ( Ohio).
“I got to see the campus and how they do things there,” Blakley said of Miami. “The coaching staff was a great group of guys. When I decide, I’ll be looking for a place I can just see myself going, a place that gives me a gut feeling.”
New Trier tight end Duke Olges is another player making the rounds at junior days.
“I was just at Vanderbilt and I saw Illinois a little while ago and I’ll be heading to Duke and Virginia soon,” Olges said.
The 6- 5, 240- pound athlete has nearly 20 scholarship offers.
Coleman on the map
Oswego running back Charles Coleman has the size — 6- 2, 200 pounds — and now the junior has his first scholarship offer.
“I managed to get an offer from North Dakota to play tight end and defensive end,” Coleman said. “My family and I have worked for that opportunity for the longest time, so to finally be able to say I’m going to school for free and to do what I love is just a blessing.”
Coleman already has visited North Dakota, along with Purdue, Western Michigan and North Dakota State.
Coleman would be fine playing on either side of the ball in college.
“I’ve played both tight end and defensive end before, so I have some knowledge on the positions,” Coleman said. “Football to me is just a way of life, so it doesn’t matter what position a school wants me to play as long as I’m a part of something to better me as a man, I’m all in.”
Coleman thinks Oswego has a chance to do big things this season.
“We have a really good team coming in,” Coleman said. “The sophomore class went 8- 1 last year, and they are some of the strongest in the weight room. If we continue to put in work, I believe we can be a deep playoff team.”
Coleman’s personal goals are to play both ways, rush for 1,000 yards and score 20 touchdowns.
“Offense is just exciting,” Coleman said. “I love being under pressure. When it’s lose or score a touchdown, I want to be that guy. On defense, I like the contact and defending your home. To play defense, you have to have major heart.”