Daniel Freitag, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Bloomington (MN) Jefferson, is one of the state’s top athletes and two-sports talents in the Class of 2024. He has scholarship offers in basketball from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Baylor and Iowa State and added his first offer in football after attending the Minnesota football camp Sunday.
Freitag shined at the Wisconsin team camp last June, earning him a scholarship offer from the Badgers. Minnesota followed by offering the Jaguar standout in July. Iowa joined the fray this year and Baylor offered him last month.
Freitag averaged a school-record 26.7 points per game this season as the Jaguars finished 20-7, losing to Park of Cottage Grove 72-68 in the Section 3AAAA semifinals. He scored in double figures in all 24 contests. Freitag scored 20 or more points in 20 of 24 games with two games with more than 40 points and five more above 30. He had a career-best 41 points versus Orono. Freitag led the Jaguars in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots. Freitag was named the Metro West MVP.
Freitag averaged 10.2 points per game as a freshman as the Jaguars finished 11-9, losing to Shakopee 48-40 in the Section 2AAAA semifinals. He scored in double figures in 11 of 18 contests, including nine of his final ten games. Freitag had a season-best 21 points versus Chaska.
Freitag had five catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns in Jefferson’s season opener against Chaska. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury on his second touchdown grab and was forced to miss the rest of the season. His catch, however, did earn him a Kare-11 Play of the Week award.
The Gopher Report caught up with Freitag Sunday night to learn more about the football offer.
The Gopher Report: When I arrived at the Minnesota Gopher football camp, I saw your name on the list on invitees and was a little bit surprised. When did you decided that you were going to appear at the camp?
Daniel Freitag: "A few months back, we registered for the camp. I remembered in our prior interview, that I would probably be putting football to the side, unless I went and grabbed an offer from Minnesota. So, I guess, here we are."
The Gopher Report: When did they tell you about the offer? After the camp or during the camp?
Freitag: "After the camp, they brought me back to the lounge and I stuck around after all the athletes were talked to. I ended up going into Fleck’s office and we had a good conversation and then he broke the news to me."
The Gopher Report: How did you think you performed at the camp?
Freitag: "To be honest, I didn’t think that I performed very well. At the beginning, in the one-on-ones, I was pretty nervous, dropping balls that I never drop, but I think I played well, considering I haven’t touched a football as much as everyone around me and playing with guys a year or two years older than me."
The Gopher Report: Had you even been playing catch with anybody lately or doing anything?
Freitag: "Truth is that it kind of crept up on me. I was planning on using the month to get ready for it, but then I ended up checking my schedule and it was five days away, so these past five days, I’ve been just throwing the football with people and that is the extent as much football practice that I have gotten in."
The Gopher Report: What does it feel like to have an offer from the hometown school for football and basketball?
Freitag: "You know, it really hasn’t set in. I know that was the case with the basketball one, too. It takes a few days to really process that I can go play football at the “U” now or basketball or both. I’m waiting on that feeling. Of course, I’m excited right now. It just doesn’t feel real."
The Gopher Report: Did they even bring up trying to play both or did they even discuss that yet? I know it is still so far away.
Freitag: "Me and my brother asked the question and he said it is possible and he would let me, both Ben Johnson and P.J. Fleck, would both let me do it, although they want to let me know what I would be getting myself into."
The Gopher Report: Does that push up your timeline about when you might decide on a school or do you think that this will have an impact on when you finally commit?
Freitag: "I guess I didn’t really think about that. I was thinking about people and my aunt telling my about basketball committing and now that the football opportunity has become possible, I probably push some time back, so I can get a full season of football."
The Gopher Report: Do you definitely think that you are going to play this year for the Jaguars?
Freitag: "I believe I will be playing."
The Gopher Report: We had talked about that before that you were hearing from people. How often were you hearing from somebody at school? How many times a day, would you guess?
Freitag: "Oh, my gosh. I’m hearing it, for every two people on the football team, I would say one says something about playing."
The Gopher Report: How about non-football players?
Freitag: "Probably three people a day."
The Gopher Report: It’s nice that they care, but does it gets a little bit annoying after awhile?
Freitag: "I understand their curiosity and I know it’s a pretty big deal to the program, so I understand it."
The Gopher Report: Since we talked the last time, you got another basketball offer from Baylor. What was the feeling when you got the offer from them? They have had a great program. The last couple years, they were a number one seed last year and won the title in 2020.
Freitag: "It was huge. It was pretty anticipated. We had planned a visit about two and a half weeks earlier and if they are having me down, I would assume it was coming, but even when they dropped the news to me, it still had that surprising, exciting feel. Baylor is just crazy. Of course, I was happy and all that. It was surreal. I knew in my time very much at Baylor for those two days that I was there."
The Gopher Report: They have a bit of a Minnesota ties with Coach (Jared) Nuness. Did you know him much before that?
Freitag: "I heard his name a few times, but I didn’t really understand that Baylor was possible until I got the call to come down there. I had heard about them. I had a few people put in a good word for me. They ended up telling me they did and it kind of felt far-fetched at the time, but when I got that call from them, it set in that it’s realistic."
The Gopher Report: Had you noticed them at some of your AAU games?
Freitag: "I don’t know if they were at any. I hadn’t been in contact with anyone until a few people referred me to Jared Nuness and told him about my character and who I am and he ended up saying he watched a game, so I don’t know if it was a live stream or in person, but he watched a game and it ended up being a 30-point game against Team Griffin and he ended up watching the rest of that EYBL session, being impressed and then we got in contact after that."
The Gopher Report: This month, you can do a little more team-wise with your high school team. Are you going to the Gopher team camp or at the Breakdown event this upcoming week?
Freitag: "We will not be at the Gopher Team Camp, but we are, I believe, at Kennedy for the Breakdown this weekend on Saturday or Sunday. We’ll be at that Breakdown event."
The Gopher Report: You have had a great spring? Any new schools besides Baylor for basketball recruiting since the last time that we talked?
Freitag: "I don’t think so. Not enough that I would consider it interest. The follows on Twitter and activity, but not too much."
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