Big TE commits to Tulsa
6-foot-6, 252-pound tight end Kolton Shindelar of Liberty (Mo.) racked up several Big 12 offers, but his official visit to Tulsa a few weeks back led him to eventually pick the Golden Hurricane.
"(Tulsa) Coach (Bill) Blankenship described that choosing a college is like finding the perfect pair of pants," he told InsideTulsaSports.com on Sunday afternoon. "Some are flashy, some are more money, but at the end of the day, you have to find the one that fits.
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"I knew on the Saturday of my official visit to Tulsa that it was the place for me. After that, it was me confirming that my feelings were correct."
Aside from Tulsa, Shindelar also held scholarship offers from Baylor, Missouri, Kansas State, Iowa State, San Diego State and Memphis. He made an official visit to Kansas State this weekend and was on the Missouri campus the weekend before, but it was his trip to Tulsa on January 18 that really stood out.
"I'm impressed with what they have done for being so small," Shindelar said after his Tulsa visit. "The visit was great. I was super impressed at what the school and team had to offer in such a unique environment to grow. I was very impressed with the campus and the athletic facilities.
"I hung out with (Tulsa quarterback) Dane Evans and (tight end) Tyler Wilson -- both great guys -- and I did a lot of talking with Coach (Scott) Downing. We saw the dorms as well as the academic and athletic facilities. Tulsa is a very unique place, and they have something special going on down there."
Shindelar previously mentioned he was looking for "a great football program, excellent place to get my academics, and an environment where I can grow as a man."
Liberty finished at 6-6 this year, ending with a loss in the second round of the playoffs. The Blue Jays were run oriented, which didn't allow Shindelar to utilize his receiving skills very often.
"Our season went alright," he described. "We ran 90 percent of the time, so I didn't get the ball thrown to me as much as I would have liked."
Shindelar also competes in track as a hurdler and long jumper, running a 4.5 forty-yard dash
"My strengths are my speed and my elusiveness for my size and my strength for my age," he explained. "Also, my track background has given me great coordination, balance and explosion."
Shindelar's father played college football at Iowa State, and his grandfather played for the Cleveland Browns. However, they apparently didn't have the same raw athleticism.
"They were linemen, so they didn't have the track background or speed," he added.
Shindelar is commitment No. 21 in Tulsa's 2013 recruiting class, and the second from the state of Missouri. The other is St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers running back Jonathan Parker, who took a visit to Iowa this weekend and is trying to make a final decision.
Stay tuned to InsideTulsaSports.com for updates throughout each day leading up to National Signing Day on February 6. Follow ITS on Twitter and Facebook, and follow Chris Harmon's Twitter feed as well.