Among the top recruits in the Show-Me State, one that got away
from the Missouri Tigers was Rockhust (Kansas City) tight end
Dan Tapko. Tapko enters the
Missouri Pre-Season Top Twenty rankings of top football prospects at No.
3.
Tapko, a 6-foot-4 inch, 220-pound tight end who is solid on the gridiron and in
the class room earned offers from many top programs across the nation including
Illinois, Missouri,
Nebraska, Wisconsin, and
Notre Dame. In the end, Tapko chose the Sooners of
Oklahoma, traditionally one
of the best in the nation.
"I think it always had a special place for me, it was my dream school before
anything ever started," Tapko told Josh McCuistion of
SoonerScoop.com. "When
I was a sophomore I said that if I could get a scholarship to Oklahoma I could
be a happy man. I've grown up in the Big 12 and (Oklahoma) and Texas have
dominated it for most of my lifetime, along with Nebraska in the early 90s."
And as he went through the process Tapko found nothing that could change his
decision and admits that over the past few months he may have simply been
stalling the inevitable.
"I cut my list down knowing Oklahoma was my No. 1 the whole time, I was trying
to look for the second and third best schools. I could have committed earlier
but I hadn't really looked at Notre Dame or Wisconsin and I wanted to give
everyone a chance but I kind of knew all along," he said. "At some point I was
going to have to make a decision.
Tapko has been outstanding for the Hawklets, who finished last season with a 9-3
mark at tight end and also at defensive end. On defense, Tapko is very sound
with his technique and can really get to the ball. On offense, he is a solid
blocker with great hands.
Tapko helps elevate the Hawklets as a top five team this year in Missouri Class
6. Keep en eye on Rockhurst and their top prospect as the 2010 season develops.
