Lots of interest in 'too small' QB
Marian Central quarterback Jon Budmayr throws a pass against Montini in a game last season.
(John Booz/For the Sun-Times)
April 10, 2008BY TAYLOR BELL
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Jon Budmayr was sitting in a hotel room in Lincoln, Neb., talking about his recruiting trip and buzzing about how impressed he was to meet Nebraska coaching legend Tom Osborne earlier in the day.
‘‘This isn’t the social capital of the world, not a lot of things to do on a Saturday night,’’ he said. ‘‘But it sure is an exciting place to be on a Saturday afternoon in the fall.’’
The Marian Central quarterback is a priority for some of the most high-profile programs in the country. He has been offered scholarships by Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Northwestern and Arizona. Notre Dame, Tennessee, Iowa, Stanford and Boston College are interested.
‘‘I want to visit some schools this spring,’’ he said. ‘‘I want to decide before my senior year, in the next couple of weeks or when I fall in love with a school, what is the right fit for me — environment, academics, coaching staff, players, spirituality.’’
Budmayr said he talks to close friend and former Marian Central star Brian Bulaga, an offensive lineman at Iowa, every week to discuss the recruiting process. More than ever, he understands it is a business. But it is all about building relationships and trust.
‘‘The recruiting process is what you make it,’’ Budmayr said. ‘‘As long as you control it, you can make it enjoyable. But it can get as crazy as you want. My mom and dad make all the trips with me. I always loved Notre Dame when I was growing up. But you must have an open mind to all your options.’’
Jon also relies on advice from his father, Rick, sophomore football coach at Marian Central, and older brother Brody, a quarterback who plays at Benedictine.
‘‘I watched Brody go through it,’’ Jon said. ‘‘When he had to call coaches to say he wasn’t coming, it was tough on him. He was getting calls every night. Once he got it down to three or four schools, he said to me: ‘Gosh, how do you really know which is the right school?’ The answer is through prayer and talking to my parents.
‘‘Something will tell me it is the right school. That’s what happened to Brody. The more you get to know the coaches, you get a feel for them and start to trust them. But until you know them, you have to wonder. The first time I talk to a coach and he says I’m No. 1 on his board, I wonder if he is telling the same thing to 10 other kids.’’
Budmayr is rated with Glenbard North’s Evan Watkins and Maine South’s Charlie Goro as the leading quarterback prospects in Illinois in the class of 2009.
In his junior year, Budmayr passed for nearly 4,000 yards despite missing five games with a hamstring injury. Budmayr led Marian Central to the Class 5A state championship game in 2006 (a 35-14 loss to Springfield Sacred Heart) and to the semifinals in 2007 (a 10-9 loss to Morris).
But Budmayr acknowledges that some college coaches perceive him as being too small — at 6-1 — to be an effective performer at the major Division I level. He believes the programs that have expressed serious interest in him should dispel that theory, but he still plays with a chip on his shoulder.
Among the top three quarterback prospects in Illinois, the 6-6 Watkins committed to Northwestern last week. At the moment, Budmayr appears to be leaning to Wisconsin, which has tapped him as its No. 1 priority at quarterback.
‘‘I know a lot of people talk about my size. But this is what God gave me and I will make the best of it,’’ Budmayr said. ‘‘Some coaches want quarterbacks who are 6-4 or 6-5. But I think I can be effective in any system, pro-style or spread or West Coast offense.’’
