Hassenauer makes first visit to Vandy

Woodbury (Minn.) East Ridge offensive center J.C. Hassenauer holds offers from Minnesota and Vanderbilt. He has seen the in-state Gophers several times, but made his first visit to Vanderbilt this past weekend.

"It actually exceeded my expectations," Hassenauer said. "I was very impressed with everything from the school to the football program. I thought because it is such a big academic school it would be a little bit smaller, but it's actually quite large - the campus and all the facilities. It's all really nice."

Hassenauer was in Nashville for Vanderbilt's VIP recruiting event they held on Saturday. The function gave him time to get to know the people around the Commodore's program.

"Most of the players were gone, but I did get to talk to a few," Hassenauer said. "I actually met all the coaches, but spent most of my time with Coach [Herb] Hand and Coach [James Franklin]. They are both great guys who are doing great things for the program and the school."

Although he has seen both of the schools that have offered him in-person, Hassenauer is not yet ready to start planning a commitment.

"I don't have a date set in mind," he said. "I am going to see how things go and keep working at it, see what happens."

One factor Hassenauer said will not play into his final decision is distance, but Minnesota's proximity does allow for the in-state prospect to more easily visit their campus.

"I am planning on visiting again pretty soon here," he said of Minnesota. "I am not for sure on a date yet."