Chapman looking to blow up

Orchard Lake St. Mary's is traditionally one of the strongest teams in Michigan, and the 2014 season was no exception. The Eaglets lost just two games (both to Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice) en route to a 14-2 record and a Division-3 state championship. One of the top players on that team is still looking to build his recruiting profile.

Linebacker Dwayne Chapman II, a 6-0, 208-pound 2017 prospect, was one of the Eaglets' leading tacklers as a sophomore, and was the Most Valuable Player of the 7-0 state title victory over Muskegon High School, a game in which he made seven total tackles, 1.5 for loss, and returned an interception 13 yards.

"I had a great season," Chapman said. "My team won the state championship, and I was actually fortunate enough in that game to win the game's MVP. For the year, I had 78 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery, and an interception: it was a great play, I was really in the moment."

Chapman picked up his first offer, from Ohio University, in mid-May.

"The whole experience is very special," said Chapman. "Ohio University will always have a special place in my heart. It feels good to have the monkey off my back. But at the same time, I feel a deeper responsibility to prove myself worthy."

Chapman has taken a number of visits to other schools around the state of Michigan and the Midwest. Although none have offered just yet, he's building a rapport with a number of Mid-American Conference programs and one Big Ten contender.

Eastern Michigan: "At Eastern, I like the way Coach Haygood was talking. He's a very nice and gentle man. The coaching staff was very friendly, and I really like the atmosphere."

Western Michigan: "At Western Michigan, Coach Hart was talking very nice. The coaches were very cool, they showed a lot of love, and it was a lot of nice facilities."

Michigan State: "Michigan State was extremely nice. I loved talking with all the coaches, very friendly coaches. They showed a lot of love, great facilities. Coach Tressel is a very nice man, I love how he runs his defense, and Blackwell is a very cool guy."

Bowling Green: "Bowling Green was actually Coach Kaufman, a very nice linebackers coach. He said a lot of great things, I like that school as well a lot."

Toledo: "Toledo is nice. Coach Veidt, I like how he runs his defense. I love their school, and it was nice to get to talk to the coaches there and everything."

Chapman's first offer has opened the door for others to follow, and with continued development, the young standout will only see his offer list grow. He's looking to break into the Big Ten ranks down the road, with the in-state programs high on his list.

"I would really like to hear back from Michigan State again," he said. "I really liked it up there, it was a family atmosphere. I liked what [defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Mike] Tressel and [Director of Player Advancement Curtis] Blackwell were saying, and I'd really like to hear back from them.

"Another school I was really hoping to hear from was Michigan," he said. "I haven't heard from them yet. I like everything: the tradition, all the fans they have, the band. It's just crazy up there, and I would love to visit there."

Chapman participated in the Rivals Camp Series in Cleveland, Ohio earlier this spring, along with the Nike The Opening regional in Chicago. School camps this summer should give him even more opportunity to show out on a big stage, and build his offer list.