By Neal Patel

Michael Jansey Jr. is a 6-foot-2-inch 215-pound linebacker for the Batavia Bulldogs. He is only a junior and already has various offers from Division-I schools. These schools also include some of the most prestigious universities in the US: Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell. However, even though these are very good academic schools, Jansey’s top five list does not include one of these. His top five choices right now are Cincinnati, Toledo, Iowa State, and Miami of Ohio. Jansey is only a junior and it is the offseason so he has a lot of time to make a decision. He still has his last season wearing the red and yellow to think about it.

Nothing has ever been handed to Jansey, he has had to work hard to get all these offers. Not only has he had to work hard on the field, he also performs well in the classroom.

“One thing that Jansey doesn’t get enough credit for is his performance in the classroom, he maintains a high GPA all year round,” said Coach William Colamatteo, one of the defensive coaches for the Bulldogs.

Jansey also plays a leadership role on the field as well, his teammates like him and he always encourages people to get better. Jansey posses a lot of positive features, the biggest one being what he does off the field and how he is as a person. This will be sure to help him once he reaches the college level.

“He’s an outstanding teammate, all of his teammates like him. Practices hard every day on the field and in the weight room. He’s a student of the game. He watches a lot of film, and he’s great in the community, too. The younger kids love Jansey and he has a lot of fun with those guys,” Colamatteo said.

Although Jansey has many offers, it’s difficult to pick one school, especially when he likes them all. However, Jansey explained what he is looking for in the recruiting process and what makes a school a better than the others.

“I’m looking for a school that has great academics for the business industry and if it feels like home,” he said. “A school that is a better choice reaches out the most and tries to get a close bond with you. Also, they make you feel at home when you’re on a visit and they tell you the truth about their school.” Not all D1 players are going just for the sport their playing, Jansey for instance still wants to get a good education out of it. He wants to be focusing on business as he also plays football. A college has to feel like home or else it’s not a good choice, this where you spend 4 years of your life so it has to be the most appealing school. Jansey wants a school that reaches out to him the most and keeps getting him to try to go there. He wants a school that really wants him, just because he got an offer doesn’t mean a school really wants him to come there. He wants a school that continues to reach out to him and doesn’t stop till they get him because this makes him feel like a priority and that is huge in the recruiting process.

However, Jansey is only a junior so he still has time to figure this out, but he wants to make a decision before next season.

“I want to commit by the end of the summer, so before next season,” he said.

Jansey said that the coaches at Batavia have helped him a lot, helping shape him into the player that he is today.

“Coach C, Coach Piron, and Coach Holm have all been very helpful,” he said. “They have been honest with me about the process and have told me the inside about how coaches feel about me. Also, they are there for me if I have any questions about the process.”

Recruiting is such a difficult process, but these coaches have made it easier for Jansey by guiding him through it. Not only are they helping him through the recruiting process, they are telling him what the coaches from these schools think about him and that has been positive for Jansey too.

Jansey last year as a Bulldog is next year, and has already accomplished so much already, but he said that he’s done yet.

“My goal for next season is to find my official home for the next 4-5 years, be the best captain/leader I can be, win another state championship with the boys, and be one of the best LBs in the country,” he said. So for Jansey he still has a lot more goals to obtain next season. By doing all this, Jansey will leave a legacy at Batavia.