Though he grew up in Texas originally, and thus was a Longhorns fan, after resettling in the midwest, Christopher Terek often found himself at The Big House.
Now a three-star offensive tackle at Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard West, the 6-foot-6, 295-pounder has often found himself in the stands at Michigan Stadium. But this weekend, taking his official visit to Ann Arbor as a recruit, he found himself on the field for the first time — something of a surreal experience.
“It was super cool, because my godfather is the biggest Michigan fan I know. He’s my dad’s best friend, they grew up together,” Terek said. “Every year, he’d always get us up for a game, the past five years. And obviously, The Big House — insane. Just being in the stadium on the field, even though it was empty, you could just feel it. It was so big, it was awesome.”
2023 OT Christopher Terek on his official visit to Michigan 🔥 @cterek77 #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/08NpMSpg7R
— Michigan Wolverines 〽️ (@uofmcoverage) June 13, 2022
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While that was a highlight of the visit, Terek was really inspired by seeing the camaraderie and excitement within the program. The coaches led the way, but he also noted that the players have all bought in — echoing sentiments we’ve been hearing dating back to spring ball last year.
“My visit was awesome. I had a great time,” Terek told WolverinesWire. “I really like talking with the coaches. The coaches were really — the energy there was really good. They were all super high energy. They were all excited to be at work — even the players. They all wanted to come, work out, get better. They want to win. It’s Michigan. They’ve always been a winning program and they want to keep that rolling.
“The facilities were awesome, obviously. Getting to hang out with the players, that was super cool. All the players — we were hanging out with the offensive line. I fit in with those dudes pretty good.”
Of course, one of the important elements for Terek is continuing to build a bond with his lead recruiter, who also would be his prospective position coach if he chooses Michigan.
Sherrone Moore has certainly made an impression on Terek, not just interpersonally, but through his accolades as well.
“He came in to see me at school and we started talking from there,” Terek said. “It’s just gone up. He’s super easy to talk to, he’s a cool guy and he really knows what he’s talking about. It’s only his first year coaching the offensive line and he won the Joe Moore Award. Obviously, that had something to do with the players, but you’ve gotta know what you’re doing to win that award.
“The Joe Moore Award is the best offensive line in the country — you’ve gotta know what you’re doing, you’ve gotta work every day to get that award.”
Terek’s trip to Ann Arbor was his second official visit, considering he visited Wisconsin the week before. He’ll see Illinois and Iowa in the following weeks, and then try to work out which of the four suits him the best.
As far as what he’s looking for at the next level, he wants to find a place where he’s ensured to get the best development and where he knows he’s going to fit in.
”Pretty much where I feel the most comfortable. I want to be confident in what they’re gonna do with me when I come in and how they’re gonna develop me into the player I could be.”
According to the 247Sports Composite, Terek is rated a three-star, the No. 891 player in the country overall, the 78th-rated offensive tackle, and the No. 18 player in the state of Illinois in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
At this juncture, he has two 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions indicating that Iowa will be his school of choice, though the On3 recruiting predictor (which uses artificial intelligence) indicates that Michigan will be the choice.
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