Schafer Receives In-Home Visits

OL Blaine Schafer has offers from four Mid-American Conference schools in Ball State, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Western Michigan. As signing day approaches, Rocket Digest has the latest on Blaine's recruitment and when a decision may be coming.

Offensive tackle Blaine Schafer has received a lot of attention from the Mid-American Conference throughout his recruitment. Ball State, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan all offered Blaine rather early, and then Toledo came in a couple of months ago and also offered Blaine.

Blaine had unofficial visits to Ball State, and official visits to the other three.

It's been a tough decision for Blaine, because he likes all four schools.

Last time we spoke to Blaine he had just talked to Toledo coaches and they told him that they received another offensive line commitment and were full at the position.

Since that time Blaine has talked to Rocket coaches a couple of times and right now the Rockets are offering Blaine a greyshirt offer. This means that Blaine would need to pay his own way 1st semester and then receive a scholarship in January of 2009. This is one way for Toledo to utilize the talents of someone in the 2008 high school class, but have them count against the 2009 recruiting class instead of this year's class.

However, with full scholarship offers for the 2008 class from Ball State, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan, a greyshirt offer is less desireable.

"We are not interested in a grey shirt situation," said Blaine's father Brent Schafer. He added, "it is a bad situation on our end. Blaine was very interested in UT."

Unless something changes on the Toledo front, it appears that Ball State, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan have the inside track to Blaine's services.

Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon and defensive coordinator Mike Ward made an in-home visit to Blaine and his parents on Wednesday night.

Then Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit and offensive line coach Bob Stanley made an in-home visit to them on Thursday night.

"They both went very well," said Blaine's father.

Right now it appears that Blaine will take his time and make sure he makes the right decision.