Louisiana State University received two major commitments from in-state junior football recruits this week and Michigan has gotten a pledge from the nation’s No. 1 punter.
The punter is 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior Will Hagerup of Whitefish Bay, Wis. He is ranked No. 1 by Kohlskicking.com.
“What separates him is his hang time: 4.6 to 5.0 seconds on punts going from 45 to 60 yards," Kohlskicking.com director Jamie Kohl said. "He stood out from an early age and college coaches marveled at him as a sophomore.”
“Every one of the (college) coaches has commented how the ball explodes off his foot," Whitefish Bay coach Jim Tietjen said. "Kirk Ferentz (Iowa coach) said it’s like (giving his team) two first downs.”
Hagerup is averaging 40 yards per punt – with a long of 54 – and has a 49-yard field goal through five games. His older brother, Chris, is the No. 1 punter at Indiana University as a sophomore.
Baton Rouge Redemptorist junior stars Jeremy Hill and La’el Collins brought a big smile to the face of LSU coach Les Miles when they walked into his office earlier this week and told him they not only want to be future Tigers but also want to bring other blue-chippers with them from Louisiana’s best class in the past 10 years.
Collins is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle who was named Class 3A first-team All-State as a sophomore. He also had early scholarship offers from Florida State, Florida, California, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Houston and Tennessee.
Collins blocked at 83 percent in a tough grading system as a sophomore and is over 90 percent during the current 4-0 campaign. The entire team, which starts just two seniors on both sides of the ball, has not allowed a sack.
Redemptorist coach Guy Mistretta says that Collins “has great feet for a guy that size. He’s very quick and has a great motor.”
Hill, a 6-1, 220-pound running back, gained 1,048 yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a sophomore. He runs a 4.6 40 and had offers from the likes of Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado and Houston.
Mistretta notes that Hill “is physical, but he can bounce outside. He’s very athletic.”
Hill is averaging 127.5 rushing yards per game this season and has scored 11 touchdowns – nine on the ground.