I previously alluded to the fact that June and July are hot months in the recruiting calendar. Camps are happening almost daily around the country.
With camps come offers. With offers come commitments.
Shortly after the Hawks June 15th flagship camp, HC Bubba Schweigert received two verbal commitments to the Class of 2024.
Gunnar Lym
The first commit was safety Gunnar Lym of Bennington, NE. Lym, 6’0-180, is an outstanding all-around athlete. In his junior season, Lym notched 92 tackles, 4 INT, and 14 pass breakups. He also was the Badgers main return man – amassing 656 return yards and 3 TD’s.
Bennington finished the 2022 season with a perfect 13-0 record and a Class B state title, their second in a row. Coming from a winning program is always a feather in the cap of the recruit.
The speed is quite apparent when watching his tape. Lym is a smooth strider, confident in his running. Very similar to how he plays safety. That speed was on display in the spring when Lym ran a 10.94 in the 100 meters.
Lym is an instinctual player, confident in reading the QB and breaking on the ball.
To start the class off with an athletic, fast safety is excellent to see. UND is going to need multiple safeties (minimum of three) in this class, no doubt.
Erick Paye
The Hawks didn’t need to go far to secure their second commit. A few miles to be exact.
Erick Paye, 6’4″-230, is an uber-talented, yet raw prospect for the Hawks. Paye didn’t play football until last season. There will be a learning curve for him but being an athlete will be his go-to in the meantime.
Paye was a standout basketball player for the Knights, as well, averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. His physicality in the low-post and dunking ability is what attracted the football scouts the most. I took in a couple of his games this past winter and left quite impressed.
Paye projects as a defensive end in UND’s 3-4 scheme. There is work to do with learning the craft (hands, moves, footwork) but the most important part is there – a muscular frame with room to grow, along with a twitch in his movement.
It seems as UND is a bit more hesitant with their offers this summer. Typically they would have more offers out than they do now. They would also have more commitments.
I am fine with that, to be honest. No reason to reach for kids that may not be FCS caliber or have the measurables to be FCS caliber down the road. I felt they did that in the past – taking commitments just to make sure they fill the class.
Some of their best, most dynamic commits have come around signing day – see Sawyer Seidl last winter. Leave some money in the coffers and wait to see who shows out their senior season.