John Olmstead is one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the 2019 class. Three Midwest schools are in the best position with the Metuchen (N.J.) St. Joseph’s star so far but a few SEC and Big Ten programs are gaining steam.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“I’m taking a close look at Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,” Olmstead said. “Those are the main three right now. They are probably showing the most interest in me. There are a lot of SEC school that are coming in too.

“Coach Hiestand leaving doesn’t really do anything to my interest in Notre Dame,” he said. “If I were to go to Notre Dame it wouldn’t be because of him being there. Don’t get me wrong, coach Hiestand is a great coach and a great guy and I really liked him but, if I decided to go to Notre Dame it would’ve been because that’s where I wanted to be. I’m not choosing a school because of the coach.

“I’ve been in contact with coach Quinn, the offensive line coach, a lot and I’m building my relationship with him,” said Olmstead. “I still talk to coach Kelly a lot and coach Long too. I think I’ll back up there in the beginning of April for an unofficial visit.

“I went out to Wisconsin during the summer and fell in love with the school again,” he said. “The tradition with the offensive line there goes way back. They’ve always had a good offensive line and they treat their big guys well. I feel like I fit in well there but I don’t really know anybody that plays there. I met the running back that is from New Jersey (Jonathan Taylor) out there but that’s about it. My recruiter is coach Turner and I have a great relationship with him and coach Rudolph, the offensive line coach. We text a lot every week. I might be getting out there this spring during my spring break.

“Minnesota’s 2018 recruiting class their best in a while,” Olmstead said. “They have a great coaching staff and I have a very good relationship with coach Fleck and coach Rossi. They just got a new offensive line coach and I’ve been talking to him as well. The coaches are always upbeat and really excited about the kids they’ll be bringing in for the 2019 class. It’s a great place and I loved it when I was up there in February of last year. It’s one of those places I fell in love with. I like the people and the campus.

“LSU and Ole Miss have been really making a big impression lately,” he said. “A lot of the SEC schools are coming right now. I just got an offer from Michigan the other day. I’ve been talking with one of the coaches there for a while. He seems like a good dude and I liked him a lot. That’s a big school I definitely want to go out and visit. I definitely want to visit Ole Miss and LSU.

“With a lot of these new schools coming in I think my decision has been pushed back,” said Olmstead. “I might commit in the early signing period in December. I’ll still take all my official visits but some could be in the spring and the rest would be in the fall.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have won over Olmstead already but now they are faced with the task of holding off the newcomers like Ole Miss, LSU, and Michigan. Last year Olmstead visited a lot of schools in the Midwest during the late winter and early spring. This year he will be taking more visits and the destinations will be more spread out to include some southern schools. Alabama has been poking around with Olmstead and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pick up an offer from the Crimson Tide in the near future.