Michigan surprises Welsh

Springboro, Ohio, junior offensive lineman Sean Welsh was not sure how things would play out this past weekend during an unofficial visit to Michigan, but the lifelong Ohio State fan emerged from the visit with a different perspective on the Wolverines.

"It's funny because I have been raised a Buckeye and most of my family are big Buckeye fans," Welsh said. "I went up there a little skeptical, but I was kind of blown away. I think there was over 112,000 people there and I haven't been to a college game like that yet. It was pretty insane and the game atmosphere was incredible."

Welsh arrived in Ann Arbor a little early for the noon kickoff, and was able to walk around and see part of the campus. He also had the opportunity to talk with coaches at Michigan.

"I ran into Coach [Darrell] Funk, their offensive line coach, and that was the first time I met him," Welsh said. "He asked me how the season went and how much I weigh. I liked him and he seemed like a really intense guy."

Welsh also had an opportunity to talk with his recruiting coach, Mark Smith, who asked him to send up film of his junior season.

The 6-3, 275-pound Welsh has already garnered scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Toledo and Ohio University. He is receiving interest from schools across the country and previously made game day visits to Notre Dame, Toledo and Miami-Ohio. He was in South Bend when the Irish hosted Michigan State.

"I don't know many Notre Dame fans," Welsh noted. "I have seen "Rudy" and I've seen some stuff on TV about it, but I loved the campus, loved the fans and loved the tradition there. It's all about tradition there."

The next game Welsh will likely take in is the Nov. 19 Ohio State-Penn State matchup in Columbus, but he also noted that he and his family are taking the recruiting process week-by-week and adjusting as things roll along.

"I kind of gauge schools off where I think I fit, the earliest I think I can play, how I compete at that level," Welsh said. "It's really about feeling the school out and watching the players and coaches go through pre-game. In a five-minute pre-game you can measure a lot. The biggest thing I do when I go to these schools is size up the guys and put myself in those pads three years down the road, see if I can fit into their position."

Springboro finished their season this past weekend with a 3-7 record and will miss the playoffs. Welsh plays offensive line and defensive tackle for his team, but is seeing most of the interest from college coaches at this time for his play on offense.