SI All-American Candidate Rocco Spindler Set to Announce Commitment

Rocco Spindler, a 4-star offensive lineman from Michigan, will announce his commitment Saturday. Penn State is among his finalists.

Over the past several months, Clarkston (Mich.) High offensive guard Rocco Spindler has zeroed in on where he’d like to play college football. With a final five consisting of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and LSU, Spindler has a bevy of quality options.

Spindler will announce his decision Saturday in a ceremony at his school. Throughout the process, Spindler has received overtures from many Michigan and Notre Dame commits, but the staff at each school have put in a wealth of legwork just to reach this point. Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner has been in constant contact with Spindler, and it is clear how much of a priority the in-state target is for the Wolverines.

However, Notre Dame is another program that has caught Spindler’s eye, and much of the recent discussion centers around the Fighting Irish’s chances to land the four-star recruit. So, where will Spindler end up? Wolverine Digest caught up with Sports Illustrated writers from Spindler’s top schools to break down his decision.

Eric Rutter (Wolverine Digest): Spindler has been a top target for Michigan throughout the 2021 cycle. He is the highest-rated offensive lineman in the state for this class, and he has been treated as such up to this point. Michigan has courted Spindler both in person and virtually over the offseason.

After speaking to Spindler, I feel that Michigan should expect a pledge from the SI All-American candidate. Spindler gushed about the Wolverines coaching staff and had a degree of excitement to his voice. For that reason, I think U-M will earn his commitment.

Bryan Driskell (Irish Breakdown): Notre Dame has been considered Spindler’s leader for quite some time, and while Michigan and Penn State have made a hard push, at no point have I felt that either could overcome the lead for the Irish.

I’ve been very critical of Notre Dame’s recruiting strategy when it comes to the offensive line, but one player they nailed it with was Spindler. His relationship with the current commits, line coach Jeff Quinn and Notre Dame’s recent history at the position all favor the Fighting Irish, which is why I predict he’ll select the Irish tonight.

Mark Wogrenich (AllPennState): Spindler is a terrific prospect and fits the power-leg model that Penn State’s new position coach seeks. Further, new coach Phil Trautwein is an exceptional recruiter and developer who clearly made an impression on the lineman. That said, Spindler is probably headed to Notre Dame, and Penn State will continue to focus on uncommitted in-state lineman Nolan Rucci.

Adam Prescott (Buckeyes Now): Football is a game often won in the trenches, so you can never have enough quality linemen. Spindler has NFL already in his blood, looks extremely physical and shouldn’t have much problem excelling in the college run game.

My guess is that he chooses either Notre Dame or Michigan, although LSU is an interesting dynamic with his teammate Garrett Dellinger recently committing there. Ohio State welcomed six offensive linemen in the 2020 class and has Donovan Jackson and Ben Christman already secured in this cycle. If they miss out on Spindler, the Buckeyes would surely like to somehow make a serious push for Jager Burton or Tristan Leigh.

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