Ever overslept on the day of a big meeting? Weâve all been there. Fortunately for offensive lineman Michael Jurgens, when he forgot to set his alarm for a recruiting visit to Wake Forest University, it didnât end too badly.
Jurgens, a Maryland native and one of the top nationally-ranked recruits in the 2018 class, had more than two dozen offers on the table when he made a pledge to Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson that heâd be a Demon Deacon.
âLuckily, I wasnât trying to sell myself to Wake Forest, but they were trying to sell Wake Forest to me,â Jurgens says. âLooking back, I didnât realize what a big decision it would be about where I would be spending my next six years. It really couldnât have gone better. I definitely made a great choice.â
Fast forward to the 2023 season, and Jurgens has become a staple for the Demon Deaconsâ offense, playing in 49 games in his career, starting 34 of them, and earning All-ACC honors. All of those previous starts came at center, but Jurgens moved to guard for the Deacons this season.
Football also provided Jurgens with academic structure. âItâs less free time, but playing football, especially in Coach Clawsonâs program, retrains your mind and reprograms you to do things the right way, and stay on target,â he says. âIf youâre a high performer, you want to stay busy. Iâd rather do that than sit around and do nothing.â
Keep reading to learn more about Jurgensâ transition from Center to Left Guard and his hopes to make it to the pros.