Scoggins: Whirlwind month ends with Luke Ryerse on campus as Gophers two-sport athlete

Luke Ryerse played in a high school all-star football game Friday night in Hawaii, moved into his apartment on the Gophers campus Sunday morning and started college classes on Tuesday.

That schedule sounds exhausting, but Ryerse’s life has moved at warp speed since Christmas, when he decided to jump-start his college career as a two-sport athlete.

The East Ridge High product hopes to pitch this spring for the Gophers baseball team while also going through winter workouts and spring practices with the football team as a punter and kickoff specialist.

His initial plan was to finish his spring semester of high school before joining both Gophers teams this summer. But once he learned that enrolling in school early was a possibility, Ryerse forged a new plan under an accelerated timeline.

Enrolling for spring semester has become a common practice in college football. Incoming freshmen graduate a semester early so that they can participate in spring practices to get a head start on the acclimation period rather than wait until fall camp.

That path, however, almost always involves position players. Quarterbacks and linemen and such. Ryerse is a specialist. Punters don’t tend to show up in January.

Ryerse’s case is unique. He is the state’s No. 1-ranked baseball prospect who helped East Ridge win back-to-back state championships. He initially committed to Alabama to play both sports but changed plans once the new football staff that replaced Nick Saban wasn’t as agreeable to him playing another sport.

“That was the criteria for what I wanted to be able to do in college,” he said.

The Gophers offered Ryerse a chance to play both and collaborated on how to make it work. Once doors opened for him to start his clock early this semester, he made up his mind after discussing the tradeoffs with his parents, Mary and Mac.

Spring semester for high school seniors is a stress-reduced jaunt to the finish line. Early enrollees give up those final few months with classmates and teammates, and social gatherings. Ryerse will walk in a graduation ceremony and possibly attend prom, depending on schedules.

“You definitely get pulled both ways emotionally,” Ryerse said, noting he will especially miss playing his final season of baseball with friends.

What he gains, he said, swayed his choice. Ryerse will have access to the Gophers’ coaching, strength training, nutrition, physical therapy and all other areas that support development. All while potentially earning innings as a pitcher and being able to audition as a punter in spring practices.

He doesn’t just strive to play two sports. He wants to excel in both.

“I made a choice for my career and I’m very happy with it,” he said.

There was one issue: Most players make the decision to enroll early months in advance. Ryerse set his wheels in motion on Dec. 26 when his mom contacted East Ridge principal Jim Smokrovich to discuss the process of finishing his schoolwork for graduation, knowing the first day of classes at the U was Jan. 21.

Ryerse had several core classes to complete. He enrolled in Northern Star Online, which allowed him to do course modules at his own pace. He logged 10 to 12 hours on his computer every day for two weeks.

“It was a grind, for sure,” he said.

His mom has worked in education for three decades as a teacher, principal, author, professor and currently serves as senior advisor for XQ Institute, a nonprofit education organization focused on high schools. She has no interest in cutting corners in academics.

“It was quite rigorous,” she said. “They were able to uphold the academic standards of the district and find a way for Luke to complete it in an express timeline. As a parent and an educator, I’m like, yes, he got the learning.”

The compressed schedule had another complication. Ryerse had earned a spot in the Polynesian Bowl by winning a kicking competition in California last July.

The game showcases top players from around the country and was held in Honolulu this past Friday. The timing was touch-and-go, knowing he needed to finish his coursework, enroll in spring classes at the U and finalize all the details with his transition.

Everything came together, allowing the family to spend a week in Hawaii.

Ryerse punted in the game, performed the traditional haka traditional dance with all the players (which they learned and rehearsed every day on the island), hustled to catch a redeye home that night (with a layover in Salt Lake City), spent Saturday evening packing and visiting friends, and was on campus moving into his new apartment by 11 a.m. Sunday.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” his dad said.

His parents praised East Ridge’s administration, university officials and Gophers baseball coach Ty McDevitt and football coach P.J. Fleck for working in concert to make it happen.

The first day as empty nesters is always tough. Mary and Mac didn’t anticipate it would come this quickly, but Monday was strange indeed. The house was quieter as their son had a full day of workouts and meetings settling into a busy life as a college student and two-sport athlete.