Midwest Standout LB Jared Badie Discusses Vols, Relationship With OLB Coach Ekeler, and More

2022 Oswego East Linebacker Jared Badie Discusses Recruitment.

6'5", 215-pounds Oswego East High School (Ill.) linebacker Jared Badie has continued to build momentum on the recruiting trail in recent months, and he has become a priority target for the Tennessee Volunteers. He discusses his relationship with Mike Ekeler, how the Vols have recruited him, and his recruitment plans with VR2 on Sports Illustrated.

Badie now holds double-digit offers, and the process is picking up steam day by day.

"I mean, first and foremost, it is just a blessing to be in the position I am in today," he said of the uptick in his recruitment. "I have to give God the glory. I didn't think it wasn't going to get to this scale this quickly and this fast. I didn't think I was going to be this highly recruited at this point, but you know, when I got my first offer my sophomore, I realized I could start doing some things, and I just continued to stay humble and working, and they just kept coming. It gets to be hectic at times. It is a good hectic, and it is a good position to be in. I enjoy it and make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am just trying to stay humble and work in the process."

Out of the fifteen offers Badie has in hand, he hears from a select group of schools consistently.

"Tennessee, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Indiana, and Michigan State," Badie said of the programs showing him the most attention.

At Tennessee, Mike Ekeler is leading the charge for the Volunteers, along with off-field assistant Levorn Harbin.

"I have really been talking a lot with Coach Ek and Coach Chop," Ekeler told VR2 on SI. "I am really starting to build that relationship up in Tennessee. They are showing me I am a big priority, and they are really doing the job on their end in terms of recruiting and letting me know that they want me there. I couldn't ask for anything better from them."

The relationship Badie is creating with Ekeler is quickly becoming one of the strongest he has in his recruitment.

"I love talking to Coach Ek," Badie said about the Volunteers special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. "He has a fun-loving attitude, but you can tell he is serious about his business. He has a lot of wisdom in his words."

" He tells a lot of stories and brings a lot of little lessons into what he talks about. He mainly talks about that he wants to build that relationship with me right now. He talks about his past experiences and shows me an understanding of how I would fit into his scheme as a player. It is really just building that relationship at this point."

With the bond growing with Ekeler, Badie says the Vols see him impacting the game in various aspects.

"They kind of see me as a hybrid edge rusher, outside linebacker type being able to use my athleticism and length in different passes, whether that be rushing the passer or dropping back in coverage," Badie said. "Really playing all over the field, which matches my high school game a little. I play all over in the high school setting, so I think that could be a good seamless transition to the next level, and I have fun playing all of those different positions and getting out to run and show my athleticism in space; I think it could be a good fit for sure."

Visits are going to be key in Badie's decision, and he is currently working out a date to visit Knoxville.

"I have been talking to them about it," he said on the potential of a June visit. "I have to get a date set up, but I most likely will take an official visit there."

"I really want to see a community, a family atmosphere, like-minded people to me, and just a brotherhood," Badie said of what he will be looking for when he does make it Knoxville. "From everyone that I talk to about Tennessee, they all say the same thing. That fan base and that culture down there is everything to them, and I think that is a really appealing place to me. Being able to walk into a restaurant and maybe be treated like I am an important person because I play for that team is something that is really appealing to me. It is something I really like the idea of having that culture everywhere I go."

Badie will line up visits to other schools in the future, too, after which he will work towards a decision.

"I think I will take those visits and get to see everybody and then making my decision from there," Badie said. "I don't see myself taking too much longer after those official visits, getting to see those places, and doing the workouts and camping at different places."

 "I think I need to get to wherever I am going, meet the coaches face to face, feel the atmosphere, and really just make my decision from there. That is really the missing piece because all of these schools, especially Tennessee, have done a great job of showing me the pieces in terms of academics and what they do scheme-wise, so the last piece is really just feeling it out."

Whenever the time comes for him to announce a commitment, Badie discussed what a school would get in him as a player.

"A whole lot of toughness and versatility," Badie said. "I think I am one of the hardest workers you will find. I am super determined. I have been through some of the lowest points an athlete can have in terms of bouncing back from injuries. Being able to overcome that, I think made me better, and you are going to see that in the way I play. I play with a lot of toughness and violence. Just passion. I love to play the game, so that is what a school is going to get from me."