Recruiting Report: Tyler Buesgens (2018)

Jordan senior Tyler Buesgens has a few more decisions to make than most prospective college athletes have to make. He not only will be choosing what school he wants to attend, but he also needs to decide which sport he wants to play. On the football field, Buesgens' Hubmen started slowly but turned the season around just in time to make a deep playoff run. "We had a rough start," Buesgens' admitted. "We faced the best team we would have on our schedule in the first game against Marshal. It was rough, but it also opened our eyes to see what we had to change and what we needed to work on. By the end of the season, we were still improving, so things got cut short against Belle Plaine, but it would have been interesting if we would have been able to play again because by then we were improving at a high rate." With a new coach, it took the first part of the season to get comfortable with everything new. When things came together, Jordan won five games in a row, and they were not stopped until the section finals. "Our passing game was good," Buesgens said. "We didn't run the ball much, but when we did, we were successful because the defense was always ready for our passing game. On defense it was all about aggression – everyone does their job and does it aggressively." Buesgens' started both ways but prefers playing defense. "On defense, I moved around a lot," NFN's 346th ranked player from the Class of 2018 said. "I moved back and forth between (weak side) defensive end and nose guard. I think I like nose guard better. I like being able to rip through the middle. My advantage was speed off the ball, and I think that helps a lot in the middle." Quickness is a big part of his game, but Buesgens doesn't think it is his greatest asset. "You have to have an aggressive mentality on defense," said the soon to be three-year defensive starter. "I am small compared to most of the o-linemen, but you can't be scared to run right into them and try to put them on their butts. You've got to have the mentality to use your instincts and just make sure you are willing to put your body in the way to go after everything." With a left-handed quarterback, on offense Buesgens played right tackle. "Like I said before I am pretty small so I have to make sure I am using leverage," Buesgens said. "I am in wrestling, so that helps me get underneath guys better and use leverage to hold off guys that are bigger than me." Buesgens doesn't just wrestle to improve his leverage in football. "In the winter and spring, I am doing wrestling. The spring is when the national tournaments take place." During the winter Buesgens wrestles for Scott West – a wrestling power that is a pairing of schools that includes Jordan. He believes his strength is on the mat. "I am mainly defensive on the feet," the 2017 3rd place finisher at 182 pounds in Class AA said. "Once I get on top that is when I try to score. I like to turn guys. It is a move I kind of made up on my own, but it works." Buesgens, who as a junior compiled a 35-3 record, wrestles mainly freestyle in the off-season. Heading into his senior season, the recruiting questions have already started for the two-sport athlete. "I am still deciding, but I am pretty sure I am going to wrestle in college," Buesgens told Northstar Football News. "I am looking at Iowa State, Northern Iowa and have been contacted by a lot of DII and DIII schools. There has been some back and forth between Ohio State and Northern Iowa. They have both talked to my coaches about me." The Hubmen/Panthers' athlete has been contacted by a few DIII schools for football, but for now, he has told them wrestling would be the route he takes. Buesgens has many decisions to make by this time next year. Right now it looks like he has made the first decision, but with more decisions to come, he admitted even the mat versus gridiron decision is not set in stone.