‘All-in on Mizzou’: Tigers football pledge Ryan Hoerstkamp has his eyes only on MU
When Missouri Tigers pledge and tight end Ryan Hoerstkamp started playing football, he had a small problem:
He wasn’t allowed to run with the ball.
Hoerstkamp’s middle school league in Washington, Missouri, had a weight limit, so he was relegated to the offensive line or playing defense. His mom, Melissa, remembered that he took a knee whenever he intercepted the ball.
It wasn’t until eighth grade that Hoerstkamp could really show off his skills, when he joined Washington High’s junior program. Even then, Washington High coach Derek Heflin said, he could tell Hoerstkamp was bound to be one of their best players.
“I’m his mom, so I always try to keep him very grounded,” Melissa said with a laugh. “I always thought that he was good, but I was just flabbergasted. You would think your kid’s good, but you don’t really want to say that because they’re your kid.”
Fast forward a few years and Hoerstkamp, indeed, is a standout. Helfin describes his playmaker as a traditional tight end, one with superb blocking ability. His 6-foot-4 frame and basketball background also gives him the ability to be a threat as a receiver, Heflin said.
Hoerstkamp committed to Mizzou and MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s program on April 25, choosing the in-state school as part of the class of 2021. The Hoerstkamps were able to experience Columbia right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down any recruiting visits, so the timing was even fortunate, Melissa said.
“I’m all-in on Mizzou,” Hoerstkamp told The Star. “I’m still recruiting kids. Still talking to coach all the time. Mizzou and I are in a really good spot. All on the same terms.”
Hoerstkamp said he was primarily recruited by Mizzou tight end coach and recruiting coordinator Casey Woods. Projecting at the next level, Hoerstkamp said the Mizzou coaches told him he’ll be a great fit on offense because of his versatility in both the running and passing game.
“I was very impressed with his maturity through the whole process,” Heflin said. “He didn’t get a big head. He’s continued to have a great work ethic and be a team player and work extremely hard.”
Early in the recruiting process, Heflin said other schools were interested in bringing Hoerstkamp on as a defensive end. Kansas State, Northern Illinois and Air Force all had eyes on him before the offers started rolling in. But Hoerstkamp is sticking at tight end once he gets to campus.
“They said it’ll be fun to use me in the offense,” Hoerstkamp said. “Someone they can use multiple ways. Someone they can help develop and make the best tight end they can.”
While Hoerstkamp remains firm in his commitment to Mizzou, a recruiting twist emerged when Alabama and coach Nick Saban offered him a scholarship. Hoerstkamp said he plans on taking a visit to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, because “not a lot of kids get that opportunity.”
Otherwise, Hoerstkamp said that’s the only visit he’ll take once the NCAA lifts its recruiting dead period. He’s steadfast in adding how the Tigers are his team — even recruiting other potential pledges himself.
“Mizzou is just a really good fit for my family and I,” Hoerstkamp said. “It had everything I wanted. Something Coach Woods said a lot to me was, ‘Why not Mizzou?’ I thought about it and I always grew up a Mizzou fan and I always wanted to play at Mizzou. It was like a dream come true when he offered me.”
Hoerstkamp said his plan is to finish out his high school career, especially in basketball, where he’s on pace for the 1,000-point mark. He said he doesn’t want to abandon his team, which is why he isn’t going to be an early enrollee yet.
But if the pandemic shuts down or affects the basketball season in any way, Hoerstkamp said he’s likely going to be an early enrollee at Mizzou.
Hoerstkamp said he always expected to play at the next level. So when he committed to Mizzou, got an offer from Alabama or projects well at the next level, he said he takes it in stride.
“That was always the plan,” Hoerstkamp said. “Where I want to go, what I want to do, that’s kind of what had to happen. It was just a matter of getting opportunities. That’s something I always envisioned myself doing.”