Spartan Nation Spoke with Ohio Spartan O-Tackle Prospect Skyler Schofner Who Knows an Honest Day's Work

Smack dab in the middle of the beating heart of the Midwest, Skyler Schofner wakes up at the crack of dawn, pulls on some blue jeans and a tee shirt, and hits

Smack dab in the middle of the beating heart of the Midwest, Skyler Schofner wakes up at the crack of dawn, pulls on some blue jeans and a tee shirt, and hits the fields. At a friend's farm, while many of us are curled up in comfy sheets drooling and snoring, he starts sweating before the sun separates from the horizon, bailing hay.

The 6-foot-7, 305 pound offensive tackle prospect from Big Walnut High School, near Columbus in central Ohio, has captured the attention of football programs throughout the region, Michigan State included. His work ethic is a big part of that.

"We bale a lot of hay out there," Schofner told Spartan Nation of his unorthodox training. "It's a workout."

For city slickers like myself, don’t feel bad you don’t know, exactly, what bailing hay means. Schofner explains: "You go out there, walk in the fields while your buddy is on the wagon … you're picking up [bales of hay] and tossing them on the wagon while he's stacking them one on one, five rows high." The job isn’t finished until hundreds of bales are stacked neatly in a barn; the epitome of an honest day's work.

With a Spartan offer in hand, Schofner says he's interested in finding out more about MSU, a team he has occasionally watched on TV. He hopes to make an official visit to East Lansing this fall to widen his understanding of the Green & White, a program he says is near the top of his list of potential collegiate destinations.

"Michigan State is one of the top schools right now," Schofner said. "I've liked them for a while." Along with MSU, Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin (most of the Big Ten schools, really), Cincinnati, North Carolina, West Virginia and others have Schofner in their sights. All listed, except the Mountaineers, have extended an offer.

For now, though, Schofner is keeping the hustle and bustle of the recruiting process at bay. His focus is on more immediate goals as he prepares to enter his senior season — and first — at Big Walnut, the third high school he will have attended.

"I'm just taking it day by day right now for high school and my senior year," he said. "I'm looking for a state title this year."

The school isn’t all new to Schofner, who already has a few friends there. And once the season swings into full gear, he's planning on taking an active leadership role for his new team. A captainship would be a great honor, he says, but in the end, leadership isn’t all about titles. It's about showing up, working hard and never quitting.

"I'm going to try to be," a leader and captain, Schofner said. "People look up to me. If I'm out there running and I stop, they stop. … You never know who's out there looking at you and watching you."