He’s taken.
Kaneland senior Ryan Algrim has developed a particular set of skills — which he plans to put to good use in eventually landing a scholarship with a certain Big Ten football team.
Those skills are on special teams as a long snapper. And he’s off and running, so to speak.
In late June, Algrim verbally committed to a preferred walk-on offer from Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, a Kaneland graduate. The Knight connection certainly didn’t hurt.
“It did help being from Kaneland,” Algrim said. “When I was up there for one of their camps, I met him. He offered me and said, ‘I just want another Kaneland guy on the team.'”
But Algrim is the goods, too.
Algrim has been working on his own since 2020 with former Northern Illinois long snapper Nolan Owen, who has a St. Charles-based business where he trains players who want to develop the skill.
“Ryan has done really well at some of those national camps and invitation-only events,” Kaneland coach Patrick Ryan said. “It’s amazing how fast the snap is from him.
“You can tell the work he’s put into it.”
In July, Algrim placed third in a competition Owen hosts annually at his facility called the Top Snapper in America, which includes top-rated long snappers from around the country.
“People in the NFL realize how valuable that skill is,” Patrick Ryan said. “And it’s trickled down.”
Algrim said the competitions to earn a ranking are based on a point system.
“You’re snapping to a target, and they track each one,” he said. “There’s also physical testing with 185-pound bench reps and other tests like running a timed L-cone drill and doing the standing broad jump.”
He has become friends with many of the long snapper competitors.
“It takes a lot of practice, a lot of time,” Algrim said of long snapping. “You can’t just do it once and think you’re good. In the offseason, I was going in there (to Owen’s facility) five or six days a week to train with him.
“It was not only long snapping, but I was doing strength training and lifting as well.”
Owen, who was the first long snapper to play on scholarship for former Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak, also helped Algrim with his recruiting. It included interest from several Division I schools.
Algrim is the second long snapper from Kaneland to become a Division I recruit. He joins Dylan Calabrese, a 2020 graduate who’s now at Western Michigan.
“He was a senior my freshman year and I saw him do it,” Algrim said. “I had played center in youth football and done some long snapping. I figured if he could do it, I could too.”
And like Calabrese, who was a defensive standout for the Knights, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Algrim isn’t a one-trick pony. He also plays linebacker and on the offensive line.
“He will probably play a lot of outside linebacker, back up the inside linebacker spot, and we’re still trying to iron out the offensive line,” Ryan said of Algrim. “He’s in the mix there.
“He’s a smart kid. If any offensive lineman goes down, Ryan will likely be the first guy we put in at any position.”
Algrim said his Kaneland teammates have been supportive of his long snapping.
“They encourage me because they see what I can do,” he said. “They know I’m another necessary position on the field. It’s important to play the other roles, too.
“It helps my athleticism, and I don’t like sitting around all practice not doing much. Linebacker especially helps me. I still have to get down the field on punt team and try to make tackles. It helps keep me ready for that.”
Wise move, fine tuning a particular set of skills.
Team: Kaneland.
2021 record: 5-5.
Offensive leaders: Troyer Carlson, junior, quarterback; Aric Johnson, junior, wide receiver; Brett Larson, junior, offensive lineman.
Defensive leaders: Austin Lilly, senior, defensive lineman; Alex Panico, senior, defensive back; Dawson Trebolo, senior, linebacker.
X-factor: Johnny Spallasso, senior, wide receiver/defensive back.