Tumwater’s Schuster, a disruptive defensive line presence, commits to Minnesota
Jacob Schuster’s recruitment took some time to heat up. Heading into his junior season, the Tumwater defensive tackle didn’t hold a scholarship offer from a Power Five school. That all changed after his junior season, in which the 6-foot-2, 300-pounder was a one-man wrecking crew for the T-Birds, leading Tumwater to the Class 2A state championship.
The offers started rolling in, from Washington, WSU, Cal, Arizona and others. But Schuster won’t be staying on the west coast. He announced last week he’ll be heading to the Big Ten, verbally committing to the University of Minnesota to play for P.J. Fleck’s Golden Gophers.
“Just building a relationship with them, it came down to the coaching staff and what they believed in,” Schuster said. “It’s more than just football for me. When I started talking with them, they really emphasized the bigger picture, who you are in life.”
Schuster, who is considered a four-star recuit by 247sports.com, was named the Class 2A Evergreen Conference MVP last season, was named to The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area first team, and was named The Olympian’s 2019 All-Area Player of the Year. He’s only the second player to earn that honor without the ball in his hands, joining Olympia High School’s Ben Huntley, who was named The Olympian’s All-Area Player of the Year in 2005.
Schuster, who is also a 4.0 student, finished with 61 tackles in 2019 — the most of any Tumwater defensive lineman and trailing only linebackers Tyler Woods and Ryan Orr for the team lead. Of those 61 tackles, 26 were for losses. He’s lauded by Tumwater coach Bill Beattie for his quickness and fast hands. He was part of a Tumwater defense which held opponents to just 5.6 offensive points and 31 yards per game rushing.
“He’s got great technique and he gets off the ball so doggone fast,” Beattie told The Olympian in December. “He’s got a desire and an instinct to get to the ball. That’s something you don’t coach, but all the great ones have.”
Schuster said the Minnesota coaching staff liked his skillset during their film evaluations.
“They liked my hands,” he said. “Liked how I used my hands. That was a big thing. And just how I was able to move on the field.”
Schuster said Minnesota plans to utilize him in the same way Tumwater does: as a run stuffer and disruptor who can get into the backfield and blow up plays. Although he plays on the offensive line at Tumwater, Schuster is firmly considered a defensive prospect at the next level.
“I like hitting a lot more,” Schuster said, laughing.
While Ohio State continues to be the class of the Big Ten, Minnesota has the feel of a program on the rise. In 2019, the Gophers won 11 games for the first time since 1904, and won seven Big Ten games for the first time in school history. Minnesota’s 2019 campaign included wins over Iowa, Penn State, Nebraska and Auburn.
“I want to get there and be a part of that — it’s definitely a big deal,” Schuster said. “It’s about more than football, but it’s definitely great they’re on the rise.”
While being recruited primarily over the phone and on Zoom calls has been strange, it’s been a whirlwind year for Schuster nonetheless, as his recruitment blew up after his junior season. He said he worked hard on his speed and quickness in between his sophomore and junior season, jumping rope and running sprints during the offseason. The work paid dividends.
“I realized that speed kills,” Schuster said. “The faster you can move upfield, the faster you can get to the ball. I play every snap like it’s my last.”
Schuster said he plans on sticking around for his high school senior season in the spring, if Thurston County and South Sound schools are able to move forward with having a season in the spring during the coronavirus pandemic.
