• No edge for BYU with Vince Biegel

  • By Chris Pool | February 8, 2011 6:55:52 AM PST
One of the most sought after junior prospects in Wisconsin is linebacker Vince Biegel (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Wisconsin Rapids. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound linebacker is the son of former BYU linebacker Rocky Biegel and the nephew of T.D. Biegel, who also played his college football for the Cougars.So does BYU have a leg up on the competition for Biegel's signature next February?"I have scholarship offers from Wisconsin, Iowa, BYU, Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee and Minnesota," Biegel said. "Some may think that BYU has the edge right now because my dad and uncle played there and because our family is LDS but that's not true."I'm actually hot on Wisconsin right now. It's close to home and I like the coaches at Madison. In our religion it's customary that we go on mission but that's really up to the individual. Right now I don't plan on going on mission."My favorites are the schools that have offered me and I also like Nebraska, Oregon and Ohio State. Also Michigan, I really like Michigan and I want to make sure I get over there for a visit."I've already been to Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska for junior days. I plan on hitting Minnesota, Michigan State and BYU soon for their junior days."Biegel was named all-state as junior. He was the first junior to ever be named captain at Wisconsin Rapids. He also letters in hockey and track. Biegel's grandfather, Ken Biegel is a member of the Wisconsin coach's Hall of Fame. Pirsig only concentrating on footballGrowing up, Jonah Pirsig (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) was a basketball and baseball player but things quickly changed when he enrolled at his high school for his freshman year."I kind of knew right then that football was going to be my sport," said the 6-foot-9, 300-pound offensive tackle. "I knew that football was going to present the best opportunity for me to earn a scholarship."The scholarships are starting to roll in for Pirsig. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and the latest to offer, Ohio State, really opened some eyes."It's really exciting to get an offer from Ohio State," Pirsig said. "I'm honored that they felt that I'm good enough to play there. I'm just taking it all in now. Now that Ohio State has offered, it might open even more doors."I'm being recruited at Ohio State by [Jim] Tressel. I plan on going down there for either a visit or a camp in the summer. As far as a favorite, I really don't have one. Blue Earth is on the border of Minnesota and Iowa."We've had students go to Minnesota on scholarship so I've always paid attention to the Gophers but I don't have a favorite. I like all the schools that have offered. Iowa and Wisconsin do a great job with producing offensive linemen."Pirsig said he has had to fight through some knee injuries but he played every game as a junior. He was named all-area and all-conference in 2010."I've put basketball to the side and I'm concentrating all my energy on football," he said. "I'm working with a personal trainer every week. I think the camps I went to last summer really helped me. Being as big as I am, I constantly face smaller, quicker defensive ends. The coaches that I've worked with him helped me with my knee-bend and getting under the pads of defenders.Pirsig plans on going to three junior days -- Wisconsin on Feb. 19, Minnesota on Feb. 20 and Michigan State on Feb. 26. His favorites at this point are Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) and Alabama.Bain still waitingAn offensive lineman that can certainly hold his own and deserves the recognition that the other prospects at his position are receiving is Robert Bain (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook). The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder will be a three-year varsity starter for the Raiders in 2011."I don't have an offer yet," Bain said. "I'm getting all the mail that everyone else seems to be getting. Bowling Green has actually sent me hand-written mail."Bain is also a terrific wrestler who made it to the final eight at the state tournament in the heavyweight division as a sophomore. He's not wrestling this year to concentrate his efforts on football."I didn't want to wrestle," he said. "I wanted to get my shoulder healed up and I wanted to make sure I got in the weight room to get ready for my senior year."I'm planning on going to junior days at Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois. I also plan on going to some camps this summer. I'm going to wait and see what happens in the spring and then I'll decide what I'm going to do in the summer."I'm really open to everyone and anything right now but Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Northwestern and Minnesota would be my early favorites."

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