Billy Schrauth is ranked as a four-star offensive guard who is also capable as a defensive lineman. He released his top four recently and it has a strong Midwest flavor.
Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Wisconsin made the final cut for the Fond du Lac (Wisc.) St. Mary’s Springs standout and visits could happen before a decision is made even if that means waiting until the NCAA lifts the travel ban after December.
The general feeling on Schrauth’s recruitment is that Notre Dame and Wisconsin are probably fighting it out for his services, although the Buckeyes and Wolverines can never be counted out when it comes to landing elite players.
The Badgers have done an incredible job keeping players home - and arguably developing offensive linemen for the NFL better than any program in the country. But Notre Dame also has a track record of having excellent players on the offensive line plus the Irish offer unparalleled history of tradition and academics that draw many prospects to South Bend.
Analysts and publishers from the Rivals network take a closer look at where one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the country will land and Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell issues his verdict.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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MICHIGAN
“Michigan is squarely in the mix with Schrauth but will need to continue to put in work as Notre Dame appears to be the early favorite. U-M OL coach Ed Warinner is one of the best recruiters on staff and talks to Schrauth on a weekly basis. Warinner also has an excellent track record and just had all four of his eligible offensive linemen taken in the NFL Draft, which is certainly appealing to Schrauth.” - EJ Holland, TheWolverine.com
NOTRE DAME
"Considering Notre Dame’s proximity to the state of Wisconsin, you wouldn’t think it’s been nearly 20 years since the Irish have signed a player from the state, but that is the case. I do think the drought for Notre Dame in the Badger State will end in the 2022 class. Schrauth has been to South Bend three times already, including once as a fan before he busted on the scene as a national recruit.
"He absolutely loves Notre Dame and offensive line coach Jeff Quinn too. Schrauth plans to visit his top four schools after the dead period lifts, but if Notre Dame gets his first visit, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends his recruitment after sitting down with head coach Brian Kelly." - Mike Singer, BlueAndGold.com
OHIO STATE
“Ohio State has not let Schrauth’s location prevent them from making a strong push for the borderline Rivals100 prospect. Schrauth is in touch with multiple coaches from the staff — Greg Studrawa and Kennedy Cook — and despite not having visited the school yet, he has conducted a virtual tour with the Buckeyes.
“Schrauth will also likely be paying attention to how the program closes out this class. Ohio State has only two offensive linemen committed in the 2021 cycle, with one of those being a guard. An opportunity will be there for him to potentially see the field early. The in-state Badgers and Notre Dame have the edge right now, but the Buckeyes shouldn’t be ruled out given their recent on-field success and the chance that Schrauth could play early in Columbus.” - Joseph Hastings, BuckeyeGrove.com
WISCONSIN
“Wisconsin has an excellent track record with in-state prospects, and it would be easy to assume Schrauth follows that same path towards Madison. But this is a unique year with visits being shut down since March, and the four-star prospect has yet to make the short trip to visit the university and Camp Randall in person due to NCAA regulations.
"With that, Schrauth's communication with the staff as an in-state athlete has been far less traditional. Regardless, the Badgers are still in good spot to land the No. 2 offensive guard in the country, who could also play defensive tackle at the next level. Michigan and Ohio State are also in the mix, but this one will likely come down to Wisconsin and Notre Dame. In the end, I still feel good about UW, but Schrauth’s recruitment is far from a slam-dunk for the Badgers.” - Jon McNamara, BadgerBlitz.com
THE VERDICT
“Schrauth is a straightforward kid who doesn’t play around with the process and he was ready to pick Notre Dame a while ago. Wisconsin has done a good job staying in this and making it close, and he seems in no hurry to decide, but I like the Irish here.” — Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director Rivals.com
