Cam Kossmann’s first impression on his new football coach was a memorable one.
“When Cam first came to me, I joked with him that he was kind of a baby deer. He was this tall, lanky kid and he played corner and wide receiver for us his freshman year,†Marquette coach Michael Stewart said. “He grew probably around 50 pounds going into his junior year and really took off in the weight room. That’s what’s elevated his recruiting and why he’s getting the attention that he deserves.â€
Kossmann remembers his initial days as a Mustang well.
“I was 6-3, 160 pounds my freshman year playing wide receiver and corner. Nowhere near the 6-5 and 240 that I am now,†he said. “It was difficult on the mental side to pick up the fork and eat. I was eating somewhere around 7,000 calories a day, but it was all really worth it. The opportunities that I have now because of that are ten-fold.â€
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The growth spurt and a position change to tight end has transformed Kossmann into a big-time weapon and the No. 26 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior college football prospects.
“His junior year was his first year playing full-on tight end,†Stewart said. “He’s really coming into his own and really comfortable at the position. I think, out of a lot of the kids in the area, he has the highest ceiling for growth just because of being newer to the position over the last year or two.â€
Kossmann caught 10 passes for 101 yards last season but should get more opportunities to rack up big numbers this fall.
“Last year, we had eight seniors (starting) that were really great and helped our offense a lot,†he said. “I think that now that we’re only returning three guys, it should be very fun for me. Last year with so many people, you spread the ball around a lot. This year, I should be showcased more and I’m excited for it.â€
The Mustangs had a 1,500-yard rusher last season in Justin Jackson, who has since graduated, which Stewart agreed should lead to more looks for Kossmann.
“We were a little bit more run-heavy last year because of Justin Jackson. It was hard not to give him the ball 35-40 times a game,†Stewart said. “But this year I could see us being much more balanced and getting the ball to Cam more. It’s tough not to throw it to your 6-6 kid.â€
Kossmann will have a familiar face throwing the ball to him in returning junior quarterback Caden Throneberry, who threw for 1,290 yards and 15 touchdowns last fall.
“We’re very good friends outside of football, so chemistry helps,†Kossmann said. “I look forward to catching some balls from him.â€
In addition to being a standout on the football field, Kossmann is also a standout in the classroom with a 4.0 grade point average.
“That’s the reason that he has all the Ivy League offers that he has up to this point,†Stewart said. “He’s done everything right in the classroom. He’s done everything right on the field for us. He’s trusted the coaches along the way through this program and it’s really elevated him.â€
Kossmann has in the neighborhood of 14 offers to play college football, including the likes of Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, Penn, UConn, Temple, Army and Navy.
He said there are not yet any particular finalists among that group, but he did say the decision will be coming soon.
“Every option has an up and down, so it’s just finding the best fit for me,†Kossmann said. “My timeline is I’m committing in about a week or so. Not to get it over with or anything because I love the recruiting process. It’s been a lot of fun and all the coaches have been great. There’s no pressure by any means to make a move, but being one of the three returning guys (on offense), I just want to make sure I’m there for my team as much as I am for myself.â€
The last part of that statement shows how much of a leadership role Kossmann has taken on for his final campaign.
“He’s a great leader for our program,†Stewart said. “Cam’s a kid that did the right thing all the way up to this point and he’s gonna do a great job this season to cap off his high school career.â€
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