Record setting QB still on the market

Few high school football players nationwide can boast the success that Holland (Mich.) Christian quarterback A.J. Westendorp experienced this past fall. The 6-2, 210-pound passer broke several state records and led his team to the Division 4 state title.

Holland Christian beat Detroit Country Day by a final of 35-20 in the state title game last month with Westendorp completing 26 of 33 pass attempts for 318 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries in the game.

Westendorp's finals performance cemented his captain status on the Division 4 all-state team. For the year he finished with 226 completions on 326 attempts (69.3 percent) for 3,600 yards and 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions through the air. The yards and passing touchdowns numbers place him second and first, respectively, all-time for those categories according to the MHSAA state record books.

The air was not the only route Westendorp used to torch defenses during his senior season, however. He used his 4.72 40-yard dash speed to rush 176 times for 1,251 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Westendorp's name had barely surfaced on the recruiting radar before the season, but college coaches are quickly realizing the talent the West Michigan native possesses.

"Yesterday, North Dakota State offered me, so that was a good thing," Westendorp reported. "This weekend, Saginaw Valley State offered me. I am going to get an academic scholarship there, then they are going to cover the rest, so it is equivalent to a full-ride. I'm going up to visit Grand Valley State this Saturday."

North Dakota State, Saginaw Valley State and Grand Valley State are the three schools Westendorp says have shown the most interest, but he is also receiving significant attention from Michigan and Central Michigan.

"Michigan said at the least they are going to beg me to walk-on because they know I'm good enough to play in the program, but they don't know if they'll have a scholarship available for me," Westendorp said. "They already have two quarterbacks (committed).

"Then, Central stopped by my school a few weeks ago to see my highlight tape. I haven't heard back from them, but they're kind of in a similar situation. They don't have a scholarship for me unless their quarterback committed backs out.

If Westendorp's decision does come down to a scholarship offer versus a walk-on opportunity, he will not necessarily default with the scholarship opportunity, but an offer would certainly give those teams an edge. He plans to take an official visit to North Dakota State in January and is open to seeing what schools come through with offers before Signing Day.

Besides being a standout on the football field, Westendorp is exceptional in the classroom. He carries a 4.0 GPA and scored a 33 on the ACT.