Stadtman takes next steps to play college ball

Although the football season has been over for nearly two months, one of Fallon’s best is searching for his next home.

Greenwave senior offensive lineman Cody Stadtman has been busy mulling at least two schools to play for at the next level.

Stadtman, a Division I-A first-team all-state selection, recently received his second offer from Stillman College (Ala.), but he is still playing the recruiting game. He has visited several schools over the past year and has been in contact with numerous coaches and staffs.

National Signing Day is Feb. 4 and coaches cannot comment on recruits until a player signs a National Letter of Intent.

“I don’t want to wait too long or else they could pick up someone else,” Stadtman said.

It has been Stadtman’s dream to play college football, although the recruiting process has been full of twists and turns.

Like many athletes around the country, Stadtman turned to a recruiting service to help push his name and game during his junior year. The first service, though, didn’t pan out, but his second choice has returned with results.

The new recruiter set Stadtman up with game film, an email account and personal guidance to expedite the process.

“It’s been a long and trying process to get recruited,” he added. “I get emails from coaches all the time, some more serious than others.”

In addition, Stadtman attended to numerous offseason combines and camps including one at UNLV where he thought he would drum up Division I interest.

Instead, UNLV said they only recruit lineman who are at least 6-feet, 5 inches, Statdman said. Stadtman is 6-2, 280 and thus the Rebels declined to extend a scholarship offer or much of anything else. However, UNLV just hired former Bishop Gorman coach Tony Sanchez, which may open the door since Stadtman was denied by the staff of former UNLV coach Bobby Hauck.

Stadtman also tried to gain footing with the University of Nevada, but the Wolf Pack said he could try to walk-on, he said.

“That was really disheartening,” he said of UNLV. “They said I have the ability but not the size. Those are two schools I could see myself going to.”

Although the two DI schools in the state passed, Stadtman turned his attention to smaller schools such as Stillman (Division II) and Presentation College (NAIA) in South Dakota, the only two schools to offer him scholarship money.

Next month, Stadtman will visit each campus to gauge the better fit. Of course, if another school comes calling with a legitimate offer, Stadtman will take a look.

“I am waiting to see if a Division I school comes out, but I’m not holding my breath,” he said. “As it gets closer to February and signing day, it will boil down to those two schools.”

Although he has two offers in his pocket, Stadtman said he has had talks and applied to Carroll College (NAIA) in Montana, Colorado Mesa (DII) and Black Hills State (DII) in South Dakota.

The recruiting process, though, is stressful and a strain but worth it. The end game, however, is to continue to play ball, while receiving money to earn an undergraduate degree.

In hindsight, Stadtman said he would skip the combines and focus more on sending film and engaging more schools and coaches.

“We weren’t really hearing a whole lot,” he said of the combines.

Although Stadtman would love to play at the DI level, he said his best options may come with a DII or NAIA program. Both Stillman and Presentation’s scholarship offers are $10,000, while Presentation is also offering a significant sum, he said.