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Q&A: East Ridge Junior JoJo Garcia on Recruitment: I already know where I am going.
Q&A: East Ridge Junior JoJo Garcia on Recruitment: "I already know where I am going."
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/421892?referrer_id=
JoJo Garcia, 6-foot-3 1/2, 268-pound junior defensive linemen from East Ridge, has three scholarship offers, including one from Minnesota.
Gophers head coach Jerry Kill and assistant coaches Tracy Claeys, Mike Sherels and Jim Zebrowski were in attendance in the Raptors' 23-7 win over Cretin Derham Hall a few weeks ago, watching Garcia and East Ridge junior teammate Seth Green and kicker Grant Ryerse, who also have Minnesota offers.
Gopher Hole caught up with Garcia to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your college recruitment right now? Where do things stand?
JoJo Garcia: Right now, I have been just staying in touch with the "U." I have talked to other colleges. I am keeping my options open.
Gopher Hole: You have three offers, right? Minnesota, Michigan State and Western Michigan.
JoJo Garcia: Oh, yes.
Gopher Hole: September 1st was the first day that college could contact juniors a little bit more. What coaches did you hear from?
JoJo Garcia: I am not going to answer that, sir, but pretty much every school in the Big Ten and a little bit of SEC schools.
Gopher Hole: Does that give you a desire to work even harder to hear from even more schools?
JoJo Garcia: Yes, sir, it does, but I already know where I am going.
Gopher Hole: What things are you really working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
JoJo Garcia: Pad level and technique. You can never get enough technique. Counter moves and what-not.
Gopher Hole: Cretin is known for having a good offense. Do you like playing against those teams with good lines?
JoJo Garcia: Yes. Whenever you play against a team with a good O-line and they can't block you with whatever and they have got to hold you, that is when you know that your job is done.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you are going to make the announcement about where you are going? Have you thought that far yet?
JoJo Garcia: To be honest, I wanted to do it before the junior year started. I am going to wait a little bit just because I am not focused on it currently, but it is definitely going to be sooner than later.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that wrestling helps you in terms of footwork and working with your hands?
JoJo Garcia: Wrestling helps me more than any other workout.
Gopher Hole: Do you do any spring sports at East Ridge, like track and field?
JoJo Garcia: I did track somewhat. I took a break off track towards the end and didn't come back. I do summer wrestling.
Gopher Hole: Being only as junior, what did it mean to get that first Division I offer?
JoJo Garcia: It felt really good. It felt great actually. At first, it didn't seem like it was real because of how big that is. How big college football is. When you actually go to the games and go to the facilities and watch the practices, then you see how big it is. When you go to watch a film study and see how important they value the small things. I didn't really realize how big Division I football was until I actually went to the campuses and watched everything around it.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is still early, but you have three offers already and not a lot of kids can say that. You have to be pretty proud of that?
JoJo Garcia: I definitely think of that situation a lot more than anyone in my class that has offers right now, because, to be honest, I would like to have more offers right now. If I had more time to go to more camps, but I wanted to enjoy the process and take it a little slower than others, so everything is going great right now. That is what I like best about the Gophers. Their coaching staff is not bugging me.
Gopher Hole: You lost some good seniors like George Behrs, Nick Leach and J.C. Hassenauer, but return some good players like yourself and Seth Green. What are the expectations for the team this year?
JoJo Garcia: I think that we have if not the same shot, a better shot than we had last year. That is pretty much all it is. We have a good group of guys and I certainly believe that.
Gopher Hole: Last year, you were a number one seed and I was at your first round playoff game against Forest Lake in which you won easily. However, you were upset in the second round by Eastview. Is that something you have talked about as a team as a motivating factor to get even farther this season?
JoJo Garcia: Yes, but to be honest, it is a new set of guys, so there is not much to say about what they need to do individually. They know what we need to do to win more games this year. There is not much to change that much or motivation that we need. The motivation is going to be the new guys starting. They will be ready.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
JoJo Garcia: I think that based off wrestling, it is reaction. I don't know why, but I think that I react really well to the run. I don't know why, I just feel it. I just react really well. Even a different move or something. If I see a guy that I can make a certain move on. That move is always going to be there.
Gopher Hole: Have you always played on the defensive end? Have you ever played offense?
JoJo Garcia: Actually, offensive guard is what I played a lot in my life. Defensive tackle is where I am going to be, obviously, but we'll see.
Gopher Hole: Are you planning on playing any offense this year or mostly just defense?
JoJo Garcia: I am pretty sure that I will be sticking with defense.
Gopher Hole: What camps did you end up making this summer?
JoJo Garcia: I went to Sound Mind Sound Body, Rivals Top 150, the RAS Camp in Indiana and Michigan State.
Gopher Hole: The Gophers have been recruiting you for quite a while. What has been your relationship with the coaches?
JoJo Garcia: It's great. It's great. It feels like that is my team. That is what I think of the Gophers.
Gopher Hole: What would it maybe mean to play for the hometown team?
JoJo Garcia: If I could play for my home state school, that would mean everything. I would be "the man" in my hometown. There is nothing better than that, playing for them. It would mean a lot. It would mean that a lot of kids could come and watch. My family and my friends. That is the best thing I like about being a Gopher that I could play close to my friends and family and they could watch.
Q&A: East Ridge Junior JoJo Garcia on Recruitment: "I already know where I am going."
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/421892?referrer_id=
JoJo Garcia, 6-foot-3 1/2, 268-pound junior defensive linemen from East Ridge, has three scholarship offers, including one from Minnesota.
Gophers head coach Jerry Kill and assistant coaches Tracy Claeys, Mike Sherels and Jim Zebrowski were in attendance in the Raptors' 23-7 win over Cretin Derham Hall a few weeks ago, watching Garcia and East Ridge junior teammate Seth Green and kicker Grant Ryerse, who also have Minnesota offers.
Gopher Hole caught up with Garcia to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your college recruitment right now? Where do things stand?
JoJo Garcia: Right now, I have been just staying in touch with the "U." I have talked to other colleges. I am keeping my options open.
Gopher Hole: You have three offers, right? Minnesota, Michigan State and Western Michigan.
JoJo Garcia: Oh, yes.
Gopher Hole: September 1st was the first day that college could contact juniors a little bit more. What coaches did you hear from?
JoJo Garcia: I am not going to answer that, sir, but pretty much every school in the Big Ten and a little bit of SEC schools.
Gopher Hole: Does that give you a desire to work even harder to hear from even more schools?
JoJo Garcia: Yes, sir, it does, but I already know where I am going.
Gopher Hole: What things are you really working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
JoJo Garcia: Pad level and technique. You can never get enough technique. Counter moves and what-not.
Gopher Hole: Cretin is known for having a good offense. Do you like playing against those teams with good lines?
JoJo Garcia: Yes. Whenever you play against a team with a good O-line and they can't block you with whatever and they have got to hold you, that is when you know that your job is done.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you are going to make the announcement about where you are going? Have you thought that far yet?
JoJo Garcia: To be honest, I wanted to do it before the junior year started. I am going to wait a little bit just because I am not focused on it currently, but it is definitely going to be sooner than later.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that wrestling helps you in terms of footwork and working with your hands?
JoJo Garcia: Wrestling helps me more than any other workout.
Gopher Hole: Do you do any spring sports at East Ridge, like track and field?
JoJo Garcia: I did track somewhat. I took a break off track towards the end and didn't come back. I do summer wrestling.
Gopher Hole: Being only as junior, what did it mean to get that first Division I offer?
JoJo Garcia: It felt really good. It felt great actually. At first, it didn't seem like it was real because of how big that is. How big college football is. When you actually go to the games and go to the facilities and watch the practices, then you see how big it is. When you go to watch a film study and see how important they value the small things. I didn't really realize how big Division I football was until I actually went to the campuses and watched everything around it.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is still early, but you have three offers already and not a lot of kids can say that. You have to be pretty proud of that?
JoJo Garcia: I definitely think of that situation a lot more than anyone in my class that has offers right now, because, to be honest, I would like to have more offers right now. If I had more time to go to more camps, but I wanted to enjoy the process and take it a little slower than others, so everything is going great right now. That is what I like best about the Gophers. Their coaching staff is not bugging me.
Gopher Hole: You lost some good seniors like George Behrs, Nick Leach and J.C. Hassenauer, but return some good players like yourself and Seth Green. What are the expectations for the team this year?
JoJo Garcia: I think that we have if not the same shot, a better shot than we had last year. That is pretty much all it is. We have a good group of guys and I certainly believe that.
Gopher Hole: Last year, you were a number one seed and I was at your first round playoff game against Forest Lake in which you won easily. However, you were upset in the second round by Eastview. Is that something you have talked about as a team as a motivating factor to get even farther this season?
JoJo Garcia: Yes, but to be honest, it is a new set of guys, so there is not much to say about what they need to do individually. They know what we need to do to win more games this year. There is not much to change that much or motivation that we need. The motivation is going to be the new guys starting. They will be ready.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
JoJo Garcia: I think that based off wrestling, it is reaction. I don't know why, but I think that I react really well to the run. I don't know why, I just feel it. I just react really well. Even a different move or something. If I see a guy that I can make a certain move on. That move is always going to be there.
Gopher Hole: Have you always played on the defensive end? Have you ever played offense?
JoJo Garcia: Actually, offensive guard is what I played a lot in my life. Defensive tackle is where I am going to be, obviously, but we'll see.
Gopher Hole: Are you planning on playing any offense this year or mostly just defense?
JoJo Garcia: I am pretty sure that I will be sticking with defense.
Gopher Hole: What camps did you end up making this summer?
JoJo Garcia: I went to Sound Mind Sound Body, Rivals Top 150, the RAS Camp in Indiana and Michigan State.
Gopher Hole: The Gophers have been recruiting you for quite a while. What has been your relationship with the coaches?
JoJo Garcia: It's great. It's great. It feels like that is my team. That is what I think of the Gophers.
Gopher Hole: What would it maybe mean to play for the hometown team?
JoJo Garcia: If I could play for my home state school, that would mean everything. I would be "the man" in my hometown. There is nothing better than that, playing for them. It would mean a lot. It would mean that a lot of kids could come and watch. My family and my friends. That is the best thing I like about being a Gopher that I could play close to my friends and family and they could watch.
