International prospects hitting recruiting radars thanks to tours
When Theodor Ohrstrom was back home in Sweden, he would watch college football highlights on YouTube and follow the sport as best he could on Twitter and Instagram.
Over the last few weeks, Ohrstrom has been on the PPI college tour which is spearheaded by Brandon Collier, whose company helps place international football players at schools across America.
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For Ohrstrom, the tour has been a raving success as the 6-foot-6, 230-pound tight end in the 2023 class has landed offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, Alabama and many others.
“It was definitely something I was hoping to get but I really didn’t know what to expect,” Ohrstrom said. “I had never gone against American players like that. I was hoping it was going to go well. I was excited to go against good competition and it’s just been an amazing experience.
“With Instagram, Twitter, YouTube nowadays, it’s great, especially being into football and I’m trying to make a career out of it so I know a lot about college football and the NFL even high school. I know a little bit about my competitors and I understand what a big deal it is. Before I got all these big offers, I explained to my parents these are the big schools, these are my dream schools.”
His dreams have come true. Ohrstrom said he’s tried to soak up every minute on every campus because when he returns to Sweden it could be difficult to fly back for visits until it’s ready to make his decision.
When he’s in college, Ohrstrom said the plan is for his parents to stay in Sweden because he has younger siblings but he will look more closely at places that are easy accessible so when they do fly in from overseas, it’s not incredibly difficult to reach campus.
That might not be the only determining factor, though, since so many elite programs are in small college towns, many sprinkled throughout the Southeast.
“It’s just insane, it’s crazy,” Ohrstrom said. “This is something I was really hoping for but it was hard imagining that it would become this big. It’s incredible.”
For 2023 offensive tackle Lucas Simmons, who’s also on the PPI tour, there are tiring moments as everyone is in a van, working out at camps throughout the month and then getting back in the van and doing it all over again.
During those moments when the batteries are empty, the Swedish native who will play next season at Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Academy International remembers just how special this month has been.
“It’s an experience for sure,” Simmons said. “It gets hectic but when I get tired, all I think is that in 10 or 20 years this is what I’m going to remember and I’m really appreciative of how much time Brandon Collier puts into this, driving us around to all these camps so we can see the coaches.”
Simmons’ father, Abel, played at Oklahoma and the 2023 offensive lineman has also added an offer from the Sooners this month. Ole Miss, Michigan, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, South Carolina and so many others have also offered over the last few weeks.
Playing at Oklahoma like his father would be a dream. But so many other schools appeal to him early on that Simmons is just taking all these experiences in.
“Every school that has offered me I’m really appreciative of because they showed me love so I’ll show them love back,” Simmons said. “It’s been going so fast. I’m just trying to absorb everything and see how the coaches are but it feels really good to get an offer from the school my dad went to. It was a dream of mine since before I started playing football but every school is equal right now.”
It feels surreal in some ways for a kid from Sweden - for a whole van full of kids from Europe - to be going through this together.
“It’s a dream come true,” Simmons said.
“When I started playing football and somebody told me I’d be in a van with Brandon Collier and 10 other kids and we’re living our dreams and all of us are from Europe, I would laugh at them and tell them they’re crazy. Playing football every day, it’s a blessing, it really is.”