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Blaine Schafer commits to Ball State according to scout.com.

http://bowlinggreen.scout.com/a.z?s=337&p=2&c=725238

Ball State Football Receives Major Commit

By Doug Schrader
Publisher BallStateInsider.com
Posted Jan 31, 2008

Standing 6'6" and weighing in at just short of 300 lbs. this class 4A First Team Indiana All Stater had narrowed his major college suitors down to three schools. Find out what separated Ball State University from the others and why he is happy to be a Cardinal.

Many fans and the Coaching staffs at the University of Toledo, Western Michigan University, Bowling Green State University and Ball State University have been following closely the recruitment of Blaine Schafer the outstanding offensive lineman from Plymouth, Indiana. The wait is now over as Blaine called Ball State Head Coach Brady Hoke after school today and gave him his verbal commitment. The BallStateInsider.com talked to Blaine this evening after he finished his practice with his basketball team. Blaine expressed sincere appreciation towards the schools and coaches who offered him scholarships and admitted it was a tough decision as he really like many things about all the schools but that in the end Ball State was the place he felt he wanted to be.

Blaine told us that he really liked Head Coach Brady Hoke and the straight forward approach he displays. Coach Faulkner who recruited me and the other coaches and staff members at Ball State really made me feel very comfortable and demonstrated a strong desire to have me as part of their team. Blaine also said that he very much enjoyed getting to know his host Mike Switzer a fellow offensive lineman who managed to start every game this past season for the Cardinals as a true freshman. Mike was a great guy and I really related well with him Blaine said. I also have to say that I enjoyed meeting and talking with QB Kelly Page from Texas who decommitted from Oregon of the PAC 10 and verballed to Ball State Saturday evening. I believe he is the kind of guy I am really going to enjoy protecting and looking forward to calling my teammate Blaine said. Meeting many of the other team members Saturday evening and hanging out with them felt great and like I belonged.

Blaine also pointed out that he felt the academic support system for student athletes at Ball State is outstanding and he plans to take full advantage of that resource. Another factor was the strong support and encouragement he received from his brother Drew who is an upper classman at Ball State. Drew loves Ball State and is a strong fan of the football program and really encouraged me to become part of something special here. My mom and dad were also very supportive and helped guide me but never pushed as they wanted the decision to rest solely with me. I appreciate my folks for their guidance but also know they were very happy about my decision and that I made the right one.

I also need to say a factor in my decision was the outstanding non conference schedule Ball State has and will play. I was very excited when I learned recently that I will have the opportunity to play schools like Auburn and Clemson let alone Indiana, Purdue and others out of the Big Ten that Ball State schedules. The Mid American Conference is a great league but Ball State separated themselves from the others with their tough non conference scheduling. All in all I just really felt the most comfortable with the Ball State experience and although it was a difficult decision my heart, mind and gut all told me I needed to be a Ball State Cardinal and help win Championships in the years ahead.

The BallStateInsider.com will follow Blaine closely over the next four or five years so check back with us often for updates on his progress.

Interesting article.

Here is what his father said about BSU on 01/23/2008 (wmu.ncaabbs.com):

"What I meant as "night and day" is the difference in aggressiveness. Coach Faulkner from BSU is a great guy. Blaine likes him a lot. However, there is no communication from the oline coach or other assistant coaches. We were told from the beginning that Blaine was a tier one prospect at BSU (as well as many other schools). I am not saying you have to kiss the kid's butt...just make him feel wanted by your school. The oline coaches (and other assitants) from all the other schools hav been VERY active with Blaine.

Western, BG and Toledo have all been in touch with us all the time (as much as the NCAA allows). The head coaches of Western and BG coaches have been in our home...The oline coaches for Western and BG have been at many of Blaine's basketball games. I feel we have relationships developed with those guys. We had three coaches at Blaine's game last night. Coaches Ward and Campbell from BG and coach Stanley from Western.

BSU...just not quite as active."

BGSU Coaches worked it and it did not turn out. We got a great class coming in.

I love the gushing, self-congratulatory tone from the very objective media outlet "BallStateInsider.com." These recruiting battles happen every year in the MAC and this particular one just happened to be very public. You win some and you lose some, and hopefully everything works out well for him at BSU. BG's incoming O-line class of Stevens, German, Walker and Robinson is superb regardless.

A couple things:

-I'm surprised BG didn't play up our recent non-conference schedule of Oklahoma, Ohio State (twice), Wisconsin, Boise State and upcoming games against other BCS squads.

-Kelly Page 'decommitted' from Oregon because the Ducks just had a 4-star QB commit to them and are still very much in the running for Terrell Pryor.

-Didn't know his older brother goes to Ball State. That had to be huge.

I think the BallStateInsider needs to up it's web hosting plan to include use of quotation marks. Best wishes to Blaine, but as Joe said, we still did very well up front!

Very interesting on how it all played out. TG, your right we still did well up front.

Will the BallStateInsider.com give updates on all of the lawsuits involving their athletic department?

Damn. Well, let's just hope we ink the rest of the class on Wednesday.

Well, I guess you can't really cry over an out-of-state recruit deciding to stay home. I probably would have made the same decision, all other factors being equal.

bgsufalcon24 wrote:Well, I guess you can't really cry over an out-of-state recruit deciding to stay home. I probably would have made the same decision, all other factors being equal.

U are 100% right. It was his decision and I am sure it was a very good one for him. Good luck Blaine

Defintely...good luck Blaine!!! I honestly don't hink you could go wrong picking beteen BGSU, Ball State and Western.