An Interview with Jordan Walsh

Submitted by TomVH on

Jordan Walsh, out of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is one of the top offensive line prospects in the country. He's the sixth best offensive guard, according to Rivals. Walsh has had interest in Michigan since his visit for Junior Day, and that interest is still growing. Here's his sophomore film (his junior film isn't on YouTube), then our conversation.

TOM: Let's start with where your interest in Michigan started from.

JORDAN: I was getting some mail from them, and then I got a junior day invite. I went up there, and they saw my film somewhere, and that's how they offered me. They offered me when I was up there. It was just amazing there, too. The trophy cases, the championships, the coaches were awesome, and Ann Arbor, the town was awesome. I really felt a lot of interest being there.

TOM: Was that where all of this stemmed from? Just from a visit?

JORDAN: Well, my mom always liked Michigan. She was a big Michigan football fan, and she told me when I was younger that I should go to Michigan. When we went there, I really liked it. She loved the junior day visit, too. When Coach Rodriguez offered me, she started crying. I guess my mom saying that all those years really got me interested initially. She's a fan of everybody now, though. She wants me to make my own decision, so she's a fan of everybody.

TOM: So is your Mom coming with you on any other visits then?

JORDAN: We might be coming back up to Michigan on the 13th (Tuesday). I really want to see the academic side and the support system they have. I want to check if I went there, if they would help me out. I have around a 3.7 GPA right now, so that's important to me. I'm not 100% sure if we're coming because I was talking with one of the (Michigan) coaches, and he gave us two dates. I'm not sure which date me and my mom are going to choose yet.

TOM: Do you have a top list right now, or are you looking to narrow it down?

JORDAN: I have a top eight. It's (in no order) Michigan, Iowa, MSU, Northwestern, LSU, USC, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee. To summarize them all, I felt comfortable with all of them. I'm interested in all of them, and I like all the coaches.

TOM: Do you know when you're going to make your decision then?

JORDAN: I don't really have a timeline set. I really just want to see everything I'm looking for. If I see and hear the stuff that I need to, then after that I'll make my decision. I don't really know when that will be. 

TOM: For the fans that don't know too much about you, tell us who you are as a football player.

JORDAN: Some coaches say that I finish my blocks, and I'm nasty on the field. To be honest, I just love the game of football. I'll do anything a coach ask me to do. I block, so I obviously can't ask for the ball, or anything. The offensive line is a cool position. You don't really get the glory, or praise, but you get to hit a lot of people. 

Comments

Cameron

July 8th, 2010 at 7:19 PM ^

"To summarize them all, I felt comfortable with all of them. I'm interested in all of them, and I like all the coaches."

Pro forma answer, but a smart one.  Sounds like he'd be a great add, especially given his offer list.  #4 Guard in the country, according to Scout.

MGoShoe

July 8th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^

Well, my mom always liked Michigan. She was a big Michigan football fan, and she told me when I was younger that I should go to Michigan. When we went there, I really liked it. She loved the junior day visit, too. When Coach Rodriguez offered me, she started crying. I guess my mom saying that all those years really got me interested initially.

Yeah, Mom!

MGoShoe

July 8th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^

...rankings:

Rivals: 4*, 5.9, #6 OG, #157 overall, #3 Illinois

Scout: 4*, #4 OG

ESPN: 4*, #13 OG, 79

Offers: Arizona, Boston College, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin per Scout.  Rivals adds Colorado and Connecticut.

WolvinLA2

July 8th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^

Seems like a really smart kid, which is a great quality in an O-lineman.  He'd be a great pick-up for us, and if a great education is important to him, we are near, if not at, the top of the list of schools he's considering. 

Go Blue Jordan!

bobbyhill57

July 8th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^

 

I like this quote.

 

 The offensive line is a cool position. You don't really get the glory, or praise, but you get to hit a lot of people

 

Braylon1

July 8th, 2010 at 8:22 PM ^

bring me Walsh, bring me Hobbi, bring me Fisher, bring me Bryant, and i will celebrate.

those types of players are the earth movers Michigan needs to start measuring up to the best DL's/front 7's in the country.

goody

July 8th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^

Michigan wins and the big name recruits start having confidence in Rodriquez's job security.  Rodriquez and Michigan could have a huge recruiting class and really start contending for more than just a bowl game.

WolvinLA2

July 8th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^

No doubt about it, if we have a solid 8 or 9 win season, maybe with a big bowl win, and the recruits will start flocking to Ann Arbor.  It doesn't need to be a Rose Bowl season, but good enough that people start talking about UM with a positive tone instead of a reserved or pessimistic one.  Enough so that RR's job is secure and people are saying "maybe UM wins the Big Ten" instead of "maybe UM misses a bowl." 

When that happens, and I think it will be a handful of months from now, we'll be able to get almost anyone we really want.

CalifExile

July 8th, 2010 at 9:22 PM ^

Was there any discussion of the USC sanctions? I'm curious why recruits who can go almost anywhere they want to go still have USC ranked so high. Turene is another example.

MGOARMY

July 9th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^

I think it's because for most of them, especially O-linemen, the bowl ban doesn't really matter. The first year without a bowl they will be seniors in high school, then 90% of them will redshirt for the second year of the ban. I really wish the NCAA dropped the banhammer on them and gave them a 4 year ban and no TV. This punishment will no doubt hurt USC, but it's more of a speed bump then it is a flat tire for recruiting.

Bosch

July 8th, 2010 at 9:31 PM ^

MSU is chasing a lot of out of state kids that Michigan has their eyes on (I prefer to believe it's this way and not the other way around). Is it coincidence or is MSU convincing these kids to stop by EL before or after their visits to Ann Arbor?

WolvinLA2

July 9th, 2010 at 1:25 AM ^

Eh, they're big ten level players from the midwest, most of them.  It's not a coincidence as much as it makes sense.  The top ones won't look at MSU as closely, with a few exceptions.  The middle of the road guys will see MSU as a chance to play in the same conference as UM but a better chance to see the field. 

Firstbase

July 9th, 2010 at 10:04 AM ^

...tenacious to me. Really likes to finish his blocks, as he said. If mom cried over Michigan's offer, this has to make us an ever-so-slight favorite, wouldn't you think??

kevin holt

July 9th, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^

I love the avatar. hahaha

One thing that I've always wanted to clear up, regarding the quote in your signature. Didn't RR say "Look, our helmet's got wings" as if to say "Our helmet has got wings" which would make him and us sound a lot less... dumb? Or was he really saying "All our helmets got wings" like a rube

Gino

July 9th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^

Gotta love it when a mother has loved Michigan football their entire lives, yet didn't attend the University.   And a mother is God in a child's eyes. Walsh going Blue will be the one of the more profound gut feelings Sam Webb is gonna have, in the near future.

Rasmus

July 9th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^

USC also fits the pattern, so thank god for the cloud over that program. I read his list as indicating he's looking for both strong academics and elite football. Some of those schools have elite football, and some have strong academics, but only one school combines them both at the highest level. I'd say Michigan has a very good shot here.

Sac Fly

July 9th, 2010 at 2:12 PM ^

...i didn't hear of him earlier, seeing as how he lives so close to chicago. I gotta start paying more attention to things that go on in the suburbs

kevin holt

July 9th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^

We give you praise. We give you a LOT of praise. If you do your job well (or even just correctly), we will likely worship you. You underestimate how smart the Michigan fanbase is (in football sense, and I don't think I need to state the academic part, but that's a digression).

When a touchdown is scored, the spotlight is on the RB, the WR, the QB. But the fans know that the whole reason that hole opened for that RB to run 50 yards is the O line. We go crazy for that.

Hell, our favorite two players last year were a DE and a punter.

Rasmus

July 11th, 2010 at 8:32 AM ^

know that people sometimes neg for no apparent reason -- someone went through this thread down-voting most if not all of the comments. Hard to know why -- probably just an asshole acting out. 90% of the time it backfires on them, because up-votes are worth +2, while down-votes are only worth -1. The best thing you can do to counter the behavior is to up-vote comments you think were stupidly down-voted, as I'm about to do in this thread.

Also -- complaining about getting negged is one sure way to get negged, a sentiment I agree with.

uminks

July 11th, 2010 at 2:15 AM ^

This kid would be a great pick up. Brains and brawn!  Wow our line could be great for years to come.  I think 6 wins and a bowl game will keep RR here for a while. The 2011 version of this team will be much better than 2010.  Even in the worse case scenario of 5 wins we should give RR one more season. I can see that both talent and depth are improving and from 2011 and beyond we should get back to a typical UM winning team...may be even NC caliber team 3 to 4 years from now.