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Aug9
Willie VanDeSteeg
Filed under: Players; Tagged as: 2009 NFL Draft, Cedric McKinley, Eric Small, Gopher Defense, Gopher Football, University of Minnesota, Willie VanDeSteegWillie VanDeSteeg was a 2004 graduate of Glencoe-Silver Lake High School, which fields a class AAA football team in western Minnesota. VanDeSteeg was rated a two star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. In my opinion, his low two star rating was probably less of a reflection of his ability and more likely a result of playing for a small school in the rural Midwest. There are often cases of players who grow and mature after reaching college, but VanDeSteeg recorded 75 tackles and 20 sacks his senior season. 20 sacks from a 6′4, 245 pound high school kid should be worth at least a three star rating at almost any level of play. Many Minnesota high school players in the past few years have been chronically underrated again, and again, and again.
VanDeSteeg had a breakout season in 2006 with 10 sacks, which was third best in the Big Ten. In 2007 he only recorded one sack, but broke a bone before the start of the season that hampered his performance. Having one effective arm may be a successful strategy at times, but not as a defensive end. The off-season proved to be an eventful one for VanDeSteeg, but he claims that he’s now ready for a strong senior season.
Realistically expect Willie VanDeSteeg to have a very good season in 2008 that is on par with his 2006 performance. If indeed Eric Small has bulked up and Cedric KcKinley plays as well as some expect, Willie Vandesteeg should see less double-teams from offensive blockers and have a great season. If he exceeds 10 sacks, do’t be suprised to see him go in the first few rounds of the 2009 NFL draft.
3 Responses to “Willie VanDeSteeg”
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mike c August 9th, 2008 at 11:28 am
it frustrates me when prognosticators fail to acknowledge the truth on vandesteeg. yes, his 10 sack sophomore campaign looks impressive on paper, but perhaps take a look at this. he managed to get 4 sacks against a weak msu team that year, and 2 of his sacks came against kent state and ndsu disrespectfully. therefore, he really failed to statistically put up a consistent quarterback rush outside of the msu game (there are 8 games in the big ten season, right?). lets not get too hyped up about that. secondly, he has failed to add muscle to his large frame since highschool. buck bravo reports him as a 6′ 4′ 245lb. h.s. sr., well he is currently only reported at 256lbs.; as a redshirt sr. i doubt he has the same athleticism as vernon gholston either. i don’t want to come of as an iowa fan, but to be honest, as an intense gopher fan he has let me down in his development over 5 yrs. i will acknowledge his injury limitations last yr. as hands are very important to the d line, but lets see if he can consistently perform in big ten games before he is labeled our pass rush cornerstone.
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We should be much improved at DT, but the ends are a concern and we don’t have any quality depth there. Let’s hope it was the injury/double teams that shut Willie down last year as we will need a strong year from him and McKinley.
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[...] receivers and made a few tackles. The pass rush had some bright moments, including a big sack by Willie VanDeSteeg. I would have liked to see Chandler Harnish of NIU under a more consistently intense pass [...]
