Clay lineman Jacob Saurbeck grows on the job, lands scholarship to Central Michigan

At 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, Clay senior offensive lineman Jacob Saurbeck might have been a bit of a late bloomer, but he has blossomed in a big way.

Saurbeck did not begin playing football until the fall of his junior year, but the fledgling big man proved to be a quick study in the trenches.

Growing from 6-2 as a freshman to 6-7 as a junior, he quickly adapted to the physical aspects of being an offensive tackle. Saurbeck learned to combine his size and strength with uncommon athleticism.

Division I college coaches quickly came calling, and Central Michigan University was the first school to offer him a scholarship. On Wednesday, Saurbeck put pen to paper and officially signed his national letter of intent to play at Central Michigan.

“When I first started, I always heard about how great it would be to play college football,” Saurbeck said. “I was able to learn quickly, so this is a dream for me.”

Clay coach John Galyas said Saurbeck's physical growth matched his maturation on the football field.

“He has grown tremendously in the two years that he has played for us,” Galyas said. “His knowledge of the game has increased dramatically. He was also much more comfortable this past season, knowing his assignments and our expectations.”

Galyas said Saurbeck quickly realized his size and ability could lead to a future at the college level.

“Jacob is a really hard worker and, once he realized that football could be his pathway to going to college, he got focused,” Galyas said. “He did a lot of extra work in the classroom and with our offensive line coaches. Jacob is really athletic for someone who is [6-foot-8] and 315 pounds. He also has an 81-plus inch wingspan.”

Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain said his staff is excited to work with Saurbeck.

“Jacob has great size. He's very athletic for his size and has a high ceiling,” McElwain told The Blade. “He hasn't been playing football very long, but we are excited about his potential.”

Saurbeck said he believes part of his athleticism came from being a catcher in baseball while growing up.

“I've always been good at getting really low and getting power from my hips,” he said. “And I wrestled. I even did some gymnastics. I did front flips and roundoffs. I used to be able to do the splits. I can't do that anymore. But that is how I learned how to get bendy. And then I got explosive with my lifting.”

Saurbeck said he fell in love with the physicality of being an offensive lineman.

“I love beating up on little [guys]. Some of them are really small and some are not as small. I enjoyed toying around with them,” he said, laughing. “Some of them are fast, so I have to reach out and grab them. But I know in college the guys are going to be a lot bigger.”

The coaching staff at Clay saw Saurbeck walking the halls as a sophomore and encouraged him to come out for the team.

“We finally convinced him that he needed to play,” Galyas said. “I think that Jacob is just scratching the surface as a football player. He has only played for two years. His best football has yet to be played.”

Saurbeck, who also plays lacrosse, began lifting weights with the football team at the end of his sophomore year, but he did not get on the field until that summer. He credited his classmate and friend Aiden Cantu, who also is a lineman, for convincing him to come out for football.

“He talked me into coming out to lift with the team,” Saurbeck said. “When I initially came out, I wanted to be a tight end. But the O-line coach [Tyler Sibbersen] told me I'm a big guy and I'm not going to be running a 4.3 [seconds in the 40-yard dash]. He talked me into playing on the offensive line. I ran some drills on the field. When I got to pushing and hitting people on the field, I fell in love with the sport.”

Saurbeck quickly became a college prospect. He is now a three-star recruit and the No. 98 ranked player in Ohio, according to 247Sports.

Saurbeck thought he could play at the next level when he attended prospects camps and clinics going into his senior year.

“I was at these camps going up against these guys that had years of practice and experience under their belt and I was holding my ground against them,” he said. “When that happened, I knew it was a possibility I could do something with it.”

Galyas said Saurbeck was a quick learner and became a mentor to the younger players as a senior.

“Being a Division I recruit instantly got him credibility with his teammates, and he did a really good job of helping out our younger guys,” Galyas said. “The fact that he is pretty well-grounded also helped with his teammates respecting him. He's a quiet leader. He leads by example. I think that is because he is relatively new to the game of football.”

Saurbeck said his junior season on the football field was a blur. He played right tackle before switching to left tackle as a senior.

“It was hard to learn right off the rip,” he said. “I started to learn the basics and do things the right way. I learned how to finish all of my steps.”

Saurbeck said the University of Toledo began looking at him as a senior. “But they have a really stacked line room,” he said.

A host of Division II schools also expressed interest.

Saurbeck said Central Michigan was the first school to officially offer him a scholarship.

“That meant a lot to me,” he said. “They've always been in my heart. I went to all of their camps. The offensive line coach was always giving me pointers. Then I took my official visit and they did a lot of things for me. They gave me a lot of food.”

Saurbeck said he is looking forward to playing in the Mid-American Conference. “I'll be closer to home, so my family can see me play,” he said.

Saurbeck is the first football player from Clay to receive a D-I offer since 1990. Former Clay defensive back Jordan Kovacs, who played at the University of Michigan and in the NFL, did not receive a scholarship out of high school and was a walk-on at Michigan.

“It is very rewarding to see,” Galyas said. “We have gone a long time without a Division I scholarship player, but Jacob changed that and we have more Division I players in the program. The next couple of years could be really exciting here at Clay.”

Saurbeck said his initial goal when he reports to Central Michigan this summer is to put on as much muscle as possible. He might redshirt as a freshman.

“I want to be able to start and get a lot of playing time my second year,” he said. “The NFL is a big dream of mine. It will be really hard. But Central Michigan has a good history of putting offensive linemen in the NFL.”