Jul. 7—Minnesota Duluth was No. 1 on Jacob Eggert’s list of football programs that had recruited him.
So when the Bulldogs offered a scholarship, he was excited, but he made one last visit to Duluth to make sure that it was the right fit for him.
“I just fell in love with Duluth,” he said. “I loved the coaches, loved the atmosphere and culture. I just fell in love with the whole program.”
Eggert, who is about to begin his senior season at Mankato East, made a verbal commitment last week to play football at Minnesota Duluth.
Eggert has grown to 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, allowing him to have a few more opportunities with college football.
“His arm talent and quarterback savvy have always been there,” East coach Eric Davis said. “I think the success of quarterbacks all over college and the NFL at different heights has kind of chipped away at the focus on measurables.”
Eggert said that his size may have limited the number of scholarship offers, even though he thought he did well at summer camps at Minnesota Duluth, South Dakota State, North Dakota State, St. Thomas and Bemidji State. He received offers from Minnesota Duluth and Grand View University, an NAIA program at Des Moines, Iowa.
“I thought I threw the ball better than the 6-4, 6-5 kids, but they were getting more looks,” he said. “I get it, but I think (size) was one of the reasons there weren’t more offers.”
Eggert was named East’s offensive player of the year as a junior, setting a single-game program record of 21 completions in a game against Rochester Mayo and a single-season record with 1,433 yards passing.
He is also tied for second in career touchdown passes (22), fourth in career completions (131) and fourth in career passing yards (2,005).
Last season, he completed 94 of 172 passes with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He was named to the Big Southeast All-District and all-city teams.
“I’ve had some good a few conversations with (Duluth offensive coordinator Chase Fogler) and I think it’s a good fit for Jacob and a good fit for Duluth,” Davis said.
Eggert said he’s working out at ETS Performance, improving his strength and speed. He throws with his teammates whenever possible to get ready for the upcoming season, which begins in about two months.
“The team is working super hard,” Eggert said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Eggert could have possibly received more offers if he had waited until the season began, and he showed coaches how much he had improved.
But Minnesota Duluth was his top choice, and he didn’t want to waste that opportunity.
“I wanted to help get their recruiting class started,” Eggert said. “They had a couple of commits so far, but for others that were still deciding, hopefully I could help them to choose Duluth.
“It’s the next level. Players are bigger and better. It’s a good way to challenge myself. Plus, it’s another chance to continue playing football.”
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.