2014 Prospect Profile: Nic Weishar

This next week will be yet another solid week in terms of recruiting for Michigan. Nic Weishar will be one of the more sought-after prospects in Ann Arbor, planning on visiting for the upcoming basketball contest against Indiana.

Weishar hails from Marist, Illinois, where he plays a glorified wide receiver position for his high school. His offer list is impressive and still growing: Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and a host of other school have all thrown offers his way.

Breakdown

I called Weishar a glorified receiver because of his frame: he currently stands at 6'5", 215 pounds, making him a slightly heavier version of a true wide receiver like Jaron Dukes. He does have the thickness to add at least another twenty pounds of muscle; think Devin Funchess minus a few inches of wingspan. Weishar doesn't jump off of the film when it comes to athleticism, but he's probably capable of running in the 4.6s in the forty-yard dash, and he shows a decent vertical on tape. Combine his above average speed with his vertical and 6'5" frame and you're looking at a mismatch waiting to happen. He catches the ball like a receiver, looking it in all the way and padding it with his hands before letting it get to his body. Tight ends like Weishar are becoming more and more common, but he's still one of the better pass-catching tight ends in his class.

Where can he improve? His obvious weaknesses are his weight and brute strength, but both of those can be fixed with a year or two of college weight training. He shows the tenacity needed to be a consistent blocker at the next level, although he's a raw blocker who only wins against defenders because he's bigger than them. He won't ever be a run-blocking tight end, but he can still put on weight and learn the basics to blocking much like Devin Funchess.

Recruitment

Nic's first offer was from Notre Dame. He has visited the Irish three times already and likes the way they use their big men; his interest in Notre Dame comes as no surprise considering their recent use of tight ends shaped exactly like himself.

The Irish are definitely in the lead with Weishar, but it's early and other teams are looking to make a push. One of those teams is Northwestern, who could use an athletic tight end like Weishar. The Wildcats are putting the full press on Nic. Michigan is also in the mix; the visit this weekend could go a long way toward pushing the Wolverines closer to the Irish in the race for Weishar's services.

Prognostication

As of now it looks like this is Notre Dame's race to lose, but Weishar holds offers from a handful of powers and more offers will pour in. He was named one of the Midwest prospects most likely to go national by 247 Sports; prospects that have the potential to go national often put off committing in order to weigh out their options, and I expect Weishar to do just that. After it's all said and done it will come down to Note Dame and whoever manages to impress him on visits: this weekend will be key for Michigan's chances with this talented tight end.