New Story Big Ten Recruiting Predictions: Iowa cracks the top 25 in 2017

[Blair Sanderson]

Big Ten Recruiting Predictions for 2017 from Rivals.com's Josh Helmholdt, who has this on Iowa.

https://n.rivals.com/news/2017-recruiting-predictions-big-ten

Iowa will crack the top 25

A.J. Epenesa

When looking at Big Ten programs that are poised to have stronger than usual recruiting performances in 2017, the Iowa Hawkeyes top the list. The momentum started when the Hawkeyes rolled through the regular season undefeated in 2015 and went on to play in the Big Ten Championship game and the Rose Bowl. Positive on-field performances have the biggest effect on the current group of juniors, because seniors largely have already formulated their opinions. Iowa has already capitalized on that momentum by building a strong core for the 2017 class with four in-state commits and most recently secured the commitment of four-star legacy prospect A.J. Epenesa, who is ranked as the No. 27 player overall in 2017. Iowa has not signed a top 25 class since 2005 and its classes have ranked outside the top 40 each of the last five years, but in 2017 it has the recipe to move back into top 25 territory.

 

[rivercityjazzman]

I'm confident that the tidal-wave of on-field success and the top-notch facilities will bring increasingly talented recruiting classes to the UI. It's exciting to see it beginning.

 

[Herkuleez]

Iowa recruiting classes should be consistently ranked between 31-40 ...especially with our pro-style offense, success having players drafted or sticking on NFL rosters, our national brand (yes, we have one), and our brand new state of the art facilities.

 

[GunnerHawk]

Location is still and will always impact our recruiting.

Thank goodness our staff is good at evaluating talent and developing that talent.

 

[dawgs_04]

Location is still and will always impact our recruiting.

Thank goodness our staff is good at evaluating talent and developing that talent.

Location is probably even with the "woe is me" mentality of the Captain

 

[broth87]

I'm tired of the lame ass tired location excuse. Iowa is not that far from a number of metropolitan areas where we've had plenty of success recruiting. We're close to Chicago, st. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas city and the des Moines/Omaha metros. Maybe we don't produce the large number of 4 and 5 star players out of our state, but I'll argue anybody we've taken a number of Iowa kids who ended up 4 and 5 star caliber. How many of you would trade Josey Jewell, Brandon scherff, Austin Blythe, or any of a number of just current home grown starters that are all big ten and nfl caliber players. We can go through history and it's the same way.
We play into this stupid ass inferiority complex because we're little old Iowa and we aren't sexy and it's our location, and it's nonsense. Iowa football is and should be better than that. Yes it takes some work, more then it does at Ohio State or Michigan, but there's plenty of examples nationwide of programs building themselves into national relevance in spite of location and disadvantages. It can be done at Iowa too and that door is wide open right now for the Iowa football program to grow.
Recruiting class between 31-40? NO. Not available. We're a top 25 program and our recruiting classes need to start reflecting that.

 

[millhawk]

I'm tired of the lame ass tired location excuse. Iowa is not that far from a number of metropolitan areas where we've had plenty of success recruiting. We're close to Chicago, st. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas city and the des Moines/Omaha metros. Maybe we don't produce the large number of 4 and 5 star players out of our state, but I'll argue anybody we've taken a number of Iowa kids who ended up 4 and 5 star caliber. How many of you would trade Josey Jewell, Brandon scherff, Austin Blythe, or any of a number of just current home grown starters that are all big ten and nfl caliber players. We can go through history and it's the same way.
We play into this stupid ass inferiority complex because we're little old Iowa and we aren't sexy and it's our location, and it's nonsense. Iowa football is and should be better than that. Yes it takes some work, more then it does at Ohio State or Michigan, but there's plenty of examples nationwide of programs building themselves into national relevance in spite of location and disadvantages. It can be done at Iowa too and that door is wide open right now for the Iowa football program to grow.
Recruiting class between 31-40? NO. Not available. We're a top 25 program and our recruiting classes need to start reflecting that.

BINGO!! Some staffs and head coaches are better recruiters than others. We can do better.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

I'm tired of the lame ass tired location excuse. Iowa is not that far from a number of metropolitan areas where we've had plenty of success recruiting. We're close to Chicago, st. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas city and the des Moines/Omaha metros. Maybe we don't produce the large number of 4 and 5 star players out of our state, but I'll argue anybody we've taken a number of Iowa kids who ended up 4 and 5 star caliber. How many of you would trade Josey Jewell, Brandon scherff, Austin Blythe, or any of a number of just current home grown starters that are all big ten and nfl caliber players. We can go through history and it's the same way.
We play into this stupid ass inferiority complex because we're little old Iowa and we aren't sexy and it's our location, and it's nonsense. Iowa football is and should be better than that. Yes it takes some work, more then it does at Ohio State or Michigan, but there's plenty of examples nationwide of programs building themselves into national relevance in spite of location and disadvantages. It can be done at Iowa too and that door is wide open right now for the Iowa football program to grow.
Recruiting class between 31-40? NO. Not available. We're a top 25 program and our recruiting classes need to start reflecting that.

The staff does a great job with the 2 and 3 stars, no doubt. But one can only imagine what they might be able to do with more 4 and maybe even a few 5 stars. With that said, stars don't equate to potential & willingness to achieve that potential.

Also location does matter, Iowa sucks! Of course living in NE isn't any better and even with a losing season they still landed some good recruits including a couple we wanted....

This thread is kind of pointless to me. I only checked 2 other schools...MSU and NEB. Neither has a single recruit listed yet for next year.

 

[broth87]

The staff does a great job with the 2 and 3 stars, no doubt. But one can only imagine what they might be able to do with more 4 and maybe even a few 5 stars. With that said, stars don't equate to potential & willingness to achieve that potential.

Also location does matter, Iowa sucks! Of course living in NE isn't any better and even with a losing season they still landed some good recruits including a couple we wanted....

This thread is kind of pointless to me. I only checked 2 other schools...MSU and NEB. Neither has a single recruit listed yet for next year.

Iowa is far better than Nebraska. More players come out of this state than Nebraska. Unfortunately, we actually have other programs, pathetic as the one is, in the state trying to compete with us.
And you're wrong about Iowa sucks. It's so damn windy in Iowa because Illinois sucks and Nebraska blows!

 

[starbrown]

I'm confident that the tidal-wave of on-field success and the top-notch facilities will bring increasingly talented recruiting classes to the UI. It's exciting to see it beginning.

Agreed.

 

[starbrown]

Location is still and will always impact our recruiting.

Thank goodness our staff is good at evaluating talent and developing that talent.

This is a losers mentality IMO which regurgitates the mantra "we're just lil ole Iowa".

 

[David1979]

If you don't realize location is a factor than you don't know recruiting. Schools in talent rich areas have a distinct advantage over schools like Iowa. Does that mean that you can't high ranked recruits? no, it just means it is much more difficult to do so.