Football: Snow Safety Weighing His Options
While the rest of us are trying to decide between that pink or purple sweater for the significant other, Snow College safety Andrew Rich has a gut-wrenching decision to make in the next few days. Rich, who just just completed his freshman season at the junior college in Ephraim, is a product of Ogden's Bonneville High who delayed his college football plans to go an an LDS Church mission right out of high school to Portland, Ore.
Upon returning, Rich had a spectacular first season for the Badgers, earning some All-America honors, and now some Division I football programs want his services. Rich is eligible to do whatever he wants because he was an academic qualifier coming out of high school.
It's just that back then, nobody wanted the 6-foot-3 multi-sport star who led Class 4A basketball in scoring his senior year.
Several schools want him now.
Boise State and Cal have offered scholarships.
Utah and BYU have offered what they call "preferred walk-on status." That means that Rich would get many of the same privileges that scholarshipped players get, but would have to pay his own tuition in hopes of "earning" a scholarship down the road.
"I got to make a decision soon, and it's agonizing," he said.
The signing period for junior college recruits begins tomorrow (Wednesday), so Cal and Boise State want an answer right away. He visited Cal and got the offer from coach Jeff Tedford last weekend. He hasn't been to Boise State yet, but the Broncos called Sunday with an offer.
He could also choose to return to Snow for his sophomore season and perhaps show BYU and Utah he's good enough to deserve a scholarship now.
"I would like to stay close to home," he said. "I've been away from home for two years, and I know how that feels. I could do it again, if I had to, but . . . ," he said.
Rich said he grew up a BYU fan and has always dreamed of playing for the Cougars.
He acknowledges it would be a risk to go to BYU or Utah as a walk-on, but not as big of one as people think.
"It would set me back financially, but can you put a price on following your dream?" he said.
We will let you know what Rich decides in the next few days.
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Rich isn't the only Snow College star with a decision to make soon.
Snow coach Steve Coburn said that receiver Adam Frandsen has offers from Arkansas State, Troy and Northern Colorado and that Oregon is still expressing some interest. BYU wants the former Box Elder High standout to walk on.
Three other Snow stars -- running back Soni Sotele, offensive lineman Isileli Pau'u and offensive lineman Arron Po'uha -- are being recruited by Division I programs but won't sign until February or later because as academic non-qualifiers coming out of high school they need to graduate from junior college first. Pau'u and Sotele are from Hunter High and Po'uha prepped at Cyprus.
As reported previously, Snow's Andrew Mitchell has committed to Oklahoma State, while Coleby Clawson and Tevita Hola have committed to BYU.
As for Coburn, the coach, he acknowledged that he interviewed for the vacant Southern Utah job a few weeks ago, but has not received any indication that the Thunderbirds are going to offer him the job any time soon.
"It looks like we'll just stay here and try to keep winning," he said.
_____________________________
Several readers have asked about the four or so recruits that the University of Utah hosted last weekend. We've got calls out all over the place, and as soon as we get some firm responses we will offer up a post. We do know from their respective junior college and high school coaches that none of the three key recruits -- Aiona Key, Devonte Christopher or Dudley LaPorte -- committed while they were on campus. Also, Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa did not end up making a visit.
The other player there, lineman Zach Davila, committed during the summer.
Upon returning, Rich had a spectacular first season for the Badgers, earning some All-America honors, and now some Division I football programs want his services. Rich is eligible to do whatever he wants because he was an academic qualifier coming out of high school.
It's just that back then, nobody wanted the 6-foot-3 multi-sport star who led Class 4A basketball in scoring his senior year.
Several schools want him now.
Boise State and Cal have offered scholarships.
Utah and BYU have offered what they call "preferred walk-on status." That means that Rich would get many of the same privileges that scholarshipped players get, but would have to pay his own tuition in hopes of "earning" a scholarship down the road.
"I got to make a decision soon, and it's agonizing," he said.
The signing period for junior college recruits begins tomorrow (Wednesday), so Cal and Boise State want an answer right away. He visited Cal and got the offer from coach Jeff Tedford last weekend. He hasn't been to Boise State yet, but the Broncos called Sunday with an offer.
He could also choose to return to Snow for his sophomore season and perhaps show BYU and Utah he's good enough to deserve a scholarship now.
"I would like to stay close to home," he said. "I've been away from home for two years, and I know how that feels. I could do it again, if I had to, but . . . ," he said.
Rich said he grew up a BYU fan and has always dreamed of playing for the Cougars.
He acknowledges it would be a risk to go to BYU or Utah as a walk-on, but not as big of one as people think.
"It would set me back financially, but can you put a price on following your dream?" he said.
We will let you know what Rich decides in the next few days.
________________________
Rich isn't the only Snow College star with a decision to make soon.
Snow coach Steve Coburn said that receiver Adam Frandsen has offers from Arkansas State, Troy and Northern Colorado and that Oregon is still expressing some interest. BYU wants the former Box Elder High standout to walk on.
Three other Snow stars -- running back Soni Sotele, offensive lineman Isileli Pau'u and offensive lineman Arron Po'uha -- are being recruited by Division I programs but won't sign until February or later because as academic non-qualifiers coming out of high school they need to graduate from junior college first. Pau'u and Sotele are from Hunter High and Po'uha prepped at Cyprus.
As reported previously, Snow's Andrew Mitchell has committed to Oklahoma State, while Coleby Clawson and Tevita Hola have committed to BYU.
As for Coburn, the coach, he acknowledged that he interviewed for the vacant Southern Utah job a few weeks ago, but has not received any indication that the Thunderbirds are going to offer him the job any time soon.
"It looks like we'll just stay here and try to keep winning," he said.
_____________________________
Several readers have asked about the four or so recruits that the University of Utah hosted last weekend. We've got calls out all over the place, and as soon as we get some firm responses we will offer up a post. We do know from their respective junior college and high school coaches that none of the three key recruits -- Aiona Key, Devonte Christopher or Dudley LaPorte -- committed while they were on campus. Also, Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa did not end up making a visit.
The other player there, lineman Zach Davila, committed during the summer.
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