Dc 12. Mark Ortmann Confirms Michigan Commitment!

Klein, Texas offensive lineman Mark Ortmann was accompanied by his father on his Michigan visit this weekend. "Yes sir, I committed to Michigan!" Mark told GoBlueWolverine. "Michigan was what he wanted," Mr. Ortmann told GoBlueWolverine Sunday evening.

Klein, Texas offensive lineman Mark Ortmann (Dec. 10 official visit, 6-6, 270 lbs., 5.2 in the 40, 350 lb. bench press, 3.5 GPA) was accompanied by his father and mother on his Michigan visit this weekend.

GoBlueWolverine met Mr. Ortmann at the Texas A&M Nike Camp this past May where Mark was extremely impressive, and where we stood around for a couple hours waiting for the rain to stop (which it never did and the camp was called after the initial drills).

In the spring Mr. Ortmann was wondering what the future would hold for Mark. This time he was sure -- and happy!

"Mark and his mother and I had a great weekend up there. Mark really got a good feeling at Michigan. Michigan was what he wanted."

When did the Michigan scholarship offer come? "Michigan offered me after my season was over," Mark told us; "a couple weeks ago."

Ortmann was a Michigan camper this summer, but at the time Michigan thought they only had 16 scholarships available and didn't offer Mark a schollie. But Mr. Ortmann told us:

"Coach Carr and Coach Moeller had kept telling us all along, 'Don't worry, don't worry'. And everything worked out well!"

Did it take the visit to sell Mark and his parents on Michigan? "I've known for a couple weeks that it was going to be Michigan," Mark told us. "I've always wanted to go there. But I waited until my visit to commit because I wanted my parents to be able to go up with me and talk to everyone there -- my dad had been with me at the Michigan Camp, but not my mom. They spent a lot of the weekend with Coach (Fred) Jackson."

So what did Mark's parents think? Mr. Ortmann is from Chicago, so it didn't take much to sell him, he told us: "Michigan is the whole package as you know, academically and athletically. It's a perfect fit for Mark. He is really happy to be going to Michigan."

And as far as a player-comparison for Michigan fans to keep in mind: Mr. Ortmann said: "Michigan told us Mark reminds then of John Jansen."

Mark added, "They told me I'd be tried at both right tackle and left tackle." Mark only really looked at three school during the recruiting process. The fact that he played tight end in high school but was obviously a future tight end in college held down the number of offers for him -- which for the Ortmanns was a good thing, according to Mr. Ortmann.

"Mark was able to focus on just a few schools. He'd picked out three (Michigan, Texas A&M {where he visited the Dec. 3 weekend} and Northwestern) early on, and got offers from all of them. But Michigan was what he wanted."

Note: Klein is in the prosperous tall-tree North Houston suburbs, near Kingwood, home of former U-M OL Steve Frazier. With David Underwood graduating this spring, it'll be great, on top of everything else Mark brings to the table, to continue having a Texan on the Wolverine roster!