DePaepe excited about new offers
Pleasant Valley defensive end Andrew DePaepe has seen his recruiting stock go to another level this week with multiple offers from schools across the Midwest, including the University of Iowa.
"I thought it was very cool that I was starting to get offers as just a young sophomore, especially from these big schools."
DePaepe, who holds scholarships from Iowa, Iowa State, and Kansas State, was thrilled when he landed his first scholarship.
"It felt great to receive my first offer. I have been working since a little kid trying to fulfill my dreams of playing Division I football and for my first offer to come from a Big 12 team (Kansas State) feels great."
With his age, DePaepe remains in no hurry to make a decision at this point and will be weighing what will help him make an eventual commitment.
"I don’t know what the biggest factor in my decision will be as I am still really young and have to wait for what the future holds," said DePaepe. "When the time comes for me to commit, then I will factor in everything."
DePaepe feels that the location of the campus will have no bearing on where he ends up.
"Staying in-state won’t have a factor in my decision."
The recruiting process picking up so quickly is something that DePaepe came away surprised with.
"I have always thought of myself as a D1 type player but have been humble as well," DePaepe said. "I think it’s still really cool to get an offer as just a sophomore in high school from such a high Division I team."
DePaepe does hope to showcase his skills on the summer camp circuit if things open up.
"I will try to attend many camps this summer if they are available and go to as many schools as I can."
While he did not have a college program he followed growing up, DePaepe had some positive words to say about the Hawkeyes.
"The Iowa program to me seems like a very good one," he said. "It seems like a very well-rounded program and produces a lot of NFL talent."
DePaepe has been unable to see any college campuses early in the recruiting process.
“I have not made any trips and can’t plan for any because I am still an underclassman.”
There are some things that DePaepe feels has allowed him to be a sought after college recruit.
"I think the habitats that I have that make me a very recruitable player are my work ethic and consistency because without those I wouldn’t have been able to make a name for myself.