- Michigan
STATE CHAMPS! SCOUT TEAM: MI football recruiting notebook — Cross Watson picks Purdue, Tag Bonnema takes show to WMU, Ryan Schuster headed to Lafayette
Cross thy self into Indiana, young man. West Lafayette to be exact.
Portage Northern senior offensive tackle Cross Watson committed to Purdue recently, becoming the Boilermakers’ third commit for the Class of ’22. Watson (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) is a three-star prospect and jumped on Purdue’s offer, his only Power-5 bid at this moment. He had 18 offers from Mid-Majors, Ivy League schools, DI-AA programs and a pair of military service academies.
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Playing Tag: All Aboard The K-Zoo Express
Zeeland East senior linebacker Tag Bonnema committed to Western Michigan recently, giving the Broncos a true steal on the recruiting market. Bonnema (6-5, 225) chose WMU over Big Ten bids from Michigan State and Iowa. A relentless competitor and the definition of a versatile athlete, he plays both lines for East. Last fall, he recorded 50 tackles and five sacks on defense and was named first-team all-state in Division 3-4.
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Chipping his way to the next level
Chippewa Valley senior quarterback Ryan Schuster ended his college recruitment recently, committing to Lafayette of the Patriot League in Easton, Pennsylvania. The 6-2 quick-trigger-wielding Schuster threw for 1, 566 yards and 11 touchdowns in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign.
Lafayette (DI-FCS) is one of America’s oldest football programs. Schuster’s older brother Tommy led Chippewa Valley to a state championship in 2018, cementing his status as one of Macomb County’s all-time great prep field generals. Tommy Schuster currently calls signals at North Dakota.
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Five west side high risers to watch this summer
1 Razah Townsend (East Kentwood 6-3, 240 Jr. LB)— Freak of nature sideline to sideline and just scratching the surface of what he will become both as a high school football player and a college recruit. Western Michigan and Central Michigan offered recently.
2 Jaris McIntosh (Battle Creek Lakeview 6-2, 195 Sr. CB)— Natural playmaker in the secondary, high ceiling at the next level.
3 Kyle Kloska (Grand Rapids West Catholic 6-3, 285 Sr. OL)— No. 1 value recruit on the west side of the state in the trenches.
4 Jeremiah Dault (Muskegon 5-11, 170, Sr. WR)— Most underrated slot receiver on the west side of the state.
5 Jeremiah Drake (Wyoming Godwin Heights 6-5, 215 Sr. QB)— The best QB on the west side of the state that you don’t know about yet but need to ASAP.
