Long snapping has been in Eli Stein’s family for nearly 40 years.
His father, Jeff, played for Wisconsin from 1984-87, signing as a nose guard before moving to long snapper at the request of Wisconsin special teams coach Dave Anderson.
Eli, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, got his start in football like most, playing the sport in his backyard with his older brother, Ezra. He was introduced to long snapping by his father soon after.
Stein graduated from Cambridge (Wis.) High School — a school with less than 300 students. With a relatively small football roster, He played linebacker and tight end for Cambridge in addition to his special teams duties.
It wasn’t Stein’s high school play that got him noticed by top football programs but rather his performance at specialist camps such as Kohl’s Kicking and Rubio Long Snapping.
Stein was the No. 2-ranked long snapper by Kohl’s and No. 3 by Rubio — largely due to his elite snap time of 0.64 seconds.
“He [snapped] one of the fastest footballs I have ever seen at the high school level,” Kohl’s founder Jamie Kohl said.
Stein was one of five long snappers in the 2022 class to earn a scholarship at a Division I program — and one of three at a Power 5 school. What once was a position for backup offensive and defensive linemen has transformed into a coveted spot on college football teams, with top long snappers from each high school class routinely receiving Power 5 offers.
“It’s going to be easier and easier to get recruited as a long snapper,” Eli said. “The demand for them is going to go on up because I think [the position has] grown so much already.”
That is in stark contrast to Jeff’s experience when he arrived on the Wisconsin campus.
“The difference is night and day,” Jeff said. “Back then, you came in [at] a different position, usually an offensive guard or tackle or nose guard or whatever, and you became a long snapper on the side. So you did that as a side job, and your main [position] that you got recruited for was your main job. Now, they’re specifically recruiting long snappers.”
When Stein first started attending long snapping camps he proposed a bet to his father. If he could earn a scholarship to a Power 5 school, Jeff had to buy him his dream car — a 1966 Shelby SS Big Block.
It wasn’t out of the question for Stein to get a scholarship, but he was in the sixth grade at the time, so Jeff didn’t give it a second thought.
Stein began being seriously recruited during his junior season. He was first contacted by Stanford, followed by a steady flow of Division I schools offering preferred walk-on spots or the ability to compete for a scholarship.
An invitation to the All-American Bowl brought increased interest from schools across the country, including the Razorbacks.
Stein didn’t enter long snapping — or the ensuing recruiting process — expecting a scholarship, but he knew there was a precedent for it.
“I knew it had been done before,” he said. “I also knew that there were very slim chances as a long snapper to get one. So I knew it was possible, but I wasn’t really counting on it.”
Arkansas special teams coordinator Scott Fountain led Stein’s recruitment for Arkansas, calling him weekly and sending hand-written letters to court the soon-to-be high school senior.
Having read the recruitment letters sent to his father, Fountain’s commitment to him stood out among other recruiters.
“Some coaches just didn’t seem as personal,” Eli said. “So the fact that he took that time meant a lot.”
Fountain’s approach was working.
“There were three letters that he kept saying, and they were SEC,” Jeff said.
Stein unofficially visited Arkansas on June 2, 2021, and less than three weeks later he was back on campus.
On June 22, he was offered a full ride by Pittman and committed on the spot, choosing Arkansas over schools such as Baylor, Illinois, Stanford and his father’s alma mater, Wisconsin.
As the Steins walked out of Pittman’s office with his college plans set, Eli asked his father one last question: “Does it matter what color Shelby?”
While he is preparing for his first season with Arkansas, his Shelby is being built in Wisconsin with a Razorback red exterior and will join him in Fayetteville upon its completion.
Stein At a Glance
CLASS Freshman
POSITION Long snapper
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-3, 223 pounds
HOMETOWN Cambridge, Wis.
HIGH SCHOOL Cambridge
NOTEWORTHY Rated the No. 2 long snapper in the country by Kohl’s Kicking … No. 3 long snapper nationally, per Rubio Long Snapping … Rated a 5-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals … Enrolled early at Arkansas following his senior football season … Played tight end and linebacker during his senior season … Had interest from other NCAA Division I schools, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Baylor and Stanford.