Recruiting Battle: Geno VanDeMark

Update: Geno VanDeMark has committed to the Michigan State Spartans.

The Contenders:

Geno VanDeMark announced his top six on twitter on June 23, 2020. He will announce his commitment August 22, 2020 at 6PM. Here is a quick tale of the tape for the top six teams. For his scouting report click here.

Why Arizona State?

Herm Edwards is a former NFL coach which is appealing to Geno VanDeMark. Lead recruiter and offensive line coach Kevin Mawae played for the New York Jets and brings that pedigree to the table. Mawae and Edwards have a lot of ties to North Jersey from their time with the Jets, and are well regarded in the area. Arizona State is coming on strong as a program, they may be the farthest from home of his finalists but they are close to the top in this recruiting battle.

Why Michigan State?

The Spartans have made VanDeMark a priority since the new staff arrived in East Lansing. Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic has had ties with the St Joes program going back to his time at North Carolina. VanDeMark’s grandfather played at Michigan State, and though that will not be the key factor, it helps to have an alumni in the family. Michigan State is trying to return to the success they had earlier this decade, prospects like VanDeMark would go a long way towards achieving that goal.

Why Mississippi?

Lane Kiffin arrived in Oxford this off season and made a key hire pulling assistant coach Chris Partridge from Michigan. Partridge is an excellent recruiter in North Jersey and naturally is the lead recruiter for VanDeMark. He had an excellent track record at Michigan getting top New Jersey recruits to commit to the Wolverines. Now he is attempting to duplicate that success at Mississippi by recruiting VanDeMark to Oxford. The relationship with Partridge is strong and the lure of playing in the SEC is a factor, but the Rebels will need a visit to get VanDeMark to sign with Mississippi.

Why Nebraska?

Nebraska has prioritized VanDeMark and is in a good position going forward. Scott Frost and offensive line coach Greg Austin have built a good relationship with VanDeMark over the course of his recruitment. The Huskers have been trending up on the recruiting trail, the results on the field should follow as well. Scott Frost has been rebuilding the culture at Nebraska and VanDeMark would be another player to help advance that goal.

Why Rutgers?

Lead recruiter Augie Hoffman was VanDeMark’s high school coach which creates a level of comfort and familiarity the other schools cannot match. Rutgers is the local school and the only finalist within 600 miles of home. He is familiar with the campus and the academic side of the school as well. Greg Schiano has made headway in New Jersey recruiting early in his second stint at Rutgers and will look to continue that with VanDeMark. The program has more positive momentum now than at any point since his departure after his first stint.

Why Tennessee?

The Vols offer the opportunity to play in the SEC. VanDeMark was scheduled to visit Tennessee but was unable to make that visit in March due to the dead period being put in place. Lead recruiter Will Friend has stayed in contact with VanDeMark over the past few months and has established a good relationship. Tennessee has had success recruiting in North Jersey, pulling Jarrett Guarantano from the area recently. Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt is recruiting well in Knoxsville and the program appears to be on the rise.

Here is our scouting report on VanDeMark.

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