Rams’ Eckheart pledges to sign with North Dakota

Five minutes.

That’s all the time it took Logyn Eckheart to say yes.

When North Dakota head football coach Bubba Schweigert extended a scholarship offer the Glenwood senior defensive lineman he needed to only run his decision by his parents before accepting the coach’s offer.

“I was pretty ecstatic,” Eckhart said of the offer. “It was my first Division I offer, and I just thought all my hard work really came to this. I talked to my parents for a little bit before making the decision then I came right back in and told them.”

The commitment capped a busy summer for the 6-foot-3, 265-pound, two-time All-Hawkeye 10 player. He camped at Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and South Dakota State and mulled offers from multiple Division II programs before heading to Grand Forks for the school’s football camp in July. Eckheart suspected he was bright on the Fighting Hawks’ radar. Prior to the North Dakota camp he toured the campus and got a look at the school’s football facilities.

“The coaches basically told me they liked me and if I had good camp, they’d offer me,” he said. “I’ve been to five or six camps this summer and it felt like I performed the best at this one.”

Eckheart did indeed have a good camp. The 20 pounds of muscle he put on in the offseason and the speed and agility work showed out in the drills.

“I feel like I got a lot quicker this summer,” he said. “I think that my biggest thing was my speed and quickness and felt like my footwork in general really improved this offseason.”

He worked out at both defensive tackle and defensive end. The North Dakota coaches, primary recruiter, defensive line coach Austin Flyger, said they liked his athleticism, his footwork and how he used his hands. He’s not sure what spot on the d-line he’ll play but he prefers defensive end.

The Fighting Hawks went 5-6 last season in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

With his commitment out of the way, Eckheart said he’s relieved. He can fully turn his attention to his senior season for the Ram football team.

“All the coaches and the whole recruiting process is a big thing and I’m just glad I have a good place I’m going to go, and I can focus on my senior year of athletics now,” he said.

He grew up an Iowa fan, but coaches told him he didn’t have the height they were looking for and he turned his attention to schools “that wanted him.”

“North Dakota was that place,” he added.

Eckheart knows more offers could come as his senior season progresses, but he doubts he could be swayed.

“After visiting and seeing the facilities and how the coaches were, I just knew it was the place for me,” he said. “They welcomed me as family, and it felt like the perfect spot.”

He plans to major in either history or education with an eye towards being a teacher and coach after college.

Eckheart and his Glenwood teammates open the football season at home Aug. 19 hosting Sioux City East.

“I’m so hyped,” Eckheart said. “With this being my last year, I’m just going to go all out, and I really think we’re going to have a team that’s going to surprise a lot of people this year.”