'24 Williamsburg Athlete Derek Weisskopf
Derek Wiesskopf's Recruiting Stock Rising
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Derek Weisskopf isn't taking anything for granted. He really doesn't have time.
The Class of 2024 multi-sport athlete from Williamsburg (IA) High stands out in football, basketball and track. A lot of work goes into performing well in all three activities .
As he result, he remains focused on improvement instead of being wrapped up in his rising football recruitment. Still, he appreciates the opportunities that continues driving him.
"The recruiting process is going great," the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder told HN. "There are a lot of new things I am learning about many programs. I am so blessed to be talking to so many coaches and getting offers at this age."
Wisconsin and Nebraska recently offered the sophomore scholarships. He visited Iowa for a junior day last month and was expected to be back on campus Monday.
"On Monday, I am hoping to see a great, physical practice. Also, I will be sitting in on some meetings with the linebackers. I will also want to sit down and talk to the players about their experience there," Weisskopf said.
All three Big Ten West programs see Weisskopf lining up on the second level of their defenses.
"Nebraska is looking at me to play (inside) linebacker, but if I was to grow a couple more inches they would move me to outside linebacker. They like me because of how athletic I am and how I moved when I played receiver last year," he said.
"Wisconsin would want me playing outside linebacker. They like me because of how athletic I am, the instincts that I have and how I move in space."
Weisskopf appreciates the honesty and vision for his future being shared by college coaching staffs. He's bonding with all of them.
"My relationship with (Iowa linebacker) coach (Seth) Wallace is great. We have been talking about once every week for the last month. The Hawkeyes are a great team and have an awesome atmosphere," he said.
Despite living 30 miles west of Iowa City, Weisskopf doesn't favor the Hawkeyes.
"I didn't grow up an Iowa fan. I'm an Iowa state fan, but I do cheer for the Hawkeyes a lot," he said.
Williamsburg utilized Weisskopf's broad skill set on both sides of the ball last season. He threw 14 passes, carried the ball 11 times and caught 23 passes for 372 yards and five touchdowns. As a safety, he led the Raiders with 80 tackles (67.0 solo, 1.5 for loss) and intercepted three passes. He also returned kicks and punted.
He paced the basketball team in scoring (15.3 PPG) and rebounding (6.6 RPG) this winter, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, including 42.4 on three-pointers. He's stood out with Martin Brothers AAU program in that sport as well.
Weisskopf qualified for Drake Relays at the end of this month after popping a leap of 6-9 in the high jump. The Blue Standard to qualify was 6-6. His is the best mark in the state to date this season.
You can watch his sophomore football highlights HERE. His sophomore basketball highlights are HERE.
247 Sports ranks Weisskopf as a three-star football recruit and the No. 3 player overall in Iowa for '24. He's also hearing from Iowa State and Notre Dame.
