Football was never meant to be the focus for  Josh Mueller, junior’s, high school athletic career, but it turned out to be more than he expected.  Mueller wanted to put his skills towards basketball, so he decided to not play football his freshman year and instead focused on his AAU basketball team. Now, almost done with his junior year, Mueller is receiving football scholarships left and right from Division 1 schools around the country.

“The attention Josh is receiving from numerous college programs is a reflection of his play on the field, his performance in the classroom and the unique desire to want to improve his skills and knowledge at the next level of his educational journey,” Coach Tom Fugate said.

His sophomore season, Mueller started to play football again, but only played a few series in a few games for varsity. This year, Mueller blossomed in his abilities and started on varsity for the defensive line. Head Coach Dave Keel credits Mueller’s quick progress to the tremendous coaching of Coach Fugate.

Since the end of basketball season Mueller has turned his focus to the weight room in order to bulk up for his senior season. “While in the weight room, Josh displays a purposeful attitude, conducting all the exercises assigned for the day,” Coach Fugate said.

Not only does he display tremendous techniques in the weight room, according to his coaches, but he also always puts forth his best effort on the practice field. He has a great knowledge of the sport and especially his position, which helps him perform at a high level.

Mueller joined Midwest Collegiate Scouting, under Erik Lofdahl, to help with the recruiting process. Since then, Mueller has received multiple offers from college football programs around the nation. “Josh’s recruiting interest is being driven by a number of factors.  His combination of size (height and weight), athletic ability and effort level on the field make a quality recruit.  Coaches see his potential and believe he has a high ceiling, meaning he can get much better while in school,” Lofdahl said.

Lofdahl saw potential for a college career in Mueller due to the frame and athleticism that he showed on every snap. While he has played defensive tackle throughout high school, college coaches believe that he could be very useful at offensive tackle, which requires someone who has quick hands and feet and flexibility in the hips, all of which Mueller possesses.

Mueller is in good hands with Midwest Collegiate Scouting, which has had multiple athletes go on to play at prestigious Division 1 schools and even some who have made it into the National Football Leauge. So far Mueller has 15 offers from D-1 schools from all different conferences, including University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of New Mexico, Iowa State University, and Ball State University.

“The Homestead football program has taught me so many things about the sport I love and about life in general. I don’t want my high school career to end, but I’m excited to see what college football will bring,” Mueller said.