Recruiting Update

[Colorado_Tigerhawk]

Here is a list of prospects that I have a good feeling about. No inside info, just a gut feeling on most of these prospects. Can anyone provide some inside knowledge? I would expect at least one commit this week.

Swarm18
1. Dashon Bussell
2. Tyler Linderbaum
3. Samson Evans
4. Tyrik Henderson (close relationship with coach Bell)

Swarm19
1. Max Duggan
2. Tyler Endres
3. Ezra Miller
4. Logan Lee

Realistic Wish List
1. John Waggoner
2. D.J. Johnson
3. Reese Taylor
4. Dallas Craddieth
5. Trevor Downing
6. Ronnie Perkins
7. Noah Shannon
8. Daniel Parker Jr.
9. Michael Thompson
10. Cameron Brown

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Here is a list of prospects that I have a good feeling about. No inside info, just a gut feeling on most of these prospects. Can anyone provide some inside knowledge? I would expect at least one commit this week.

Swarm18
1. Dashon Bussell
2. Tyler Linderbaum
3. Samson Evans
4. Tyrik Henderson (close relationship with coach Bell)

Swarm19
1. Max Duggan
2. Tyler Endres
3. Ezra Miller
4. Logan Lee

Realistic Wish List
1. John Waggoner
2. D.J. Johnson
3. Reese Taylor
4. Dallas Craddieth
5. Trevor Downing
6. Ronnie Perkins
7. Noah Shannon
8. Daniel Parker Jr.
9. Michael Thompson
10. Cameron Brown

We're going hard after DTs ... but I'm not certain that we'll take more than 2. It will be curious to see who we can land. Also, I don't anticipate that we'll try to get too many DEs either ... so if we land Waggoner ... he could be our one-and-done at that position.

Otherwise, our biggest needs for the '18 class will be at LB and the OL. We'll probably want to land a few WRs too.

 

[ChrisVarick]

I'm interested to know more about Ezra Miller. I'm from that area and it is ultra rare to have a D1 football player.

 

[Rustys Dad]

The recruiting game has changed so much ... Until a kid signs the dotted line it's hard to take any of them at their word ... These numbers will only continue to get worse ...

"According to 247 Sports, there were 249 decommits for the class of 2016 recruiting class — a fairly large number itself, but not incredibly shocking in the grand scheme of things.

What is shocking? The number of players decommitting in the class of 2017. As of this writing, there have been 607 instances of a player changing his commitment to play for a school, a whopping 243 percent increase year-over-year."

 

[paladinhawk]

What is shocking? The number of players decommitting in the class of 2017. As of this writing, there have been 607 instances of a player changing his commitment to play for a school, a whopping 243 percent increase year-over-year."

And Juan Harris may tally about 100 by himself for the class of 2018(iirc).

 

[NevadaHawk]

Swarm 2018 has the potential to be a breakout year for Hawkeye recruiting. I believe the staff will make it happen!

 

[pink shizzle]

Any updates on how Junior day went?

 

[Rustys Dad]

And Juan Harris may tally about 100 by himself for the class of 2018(iirc).

Okay that one made me laugh

 

[kceasthawk]

The recruiting game has changed so much ... Until a kid signs the dotted line it's hard to take any of them at their word ... These numbers will only continue to get worse ...

"According to 247 Sports, there were 249 decommits for the class of 2016 recruiting class — a fairly large number itself, but not incredibly shocking in the grand scheme of things.

What is shocking? The number of players decommitting in the class of 2017. As of this writing, there have been 607 instances of a player changing his commitment to play for a school, a whopping 243 percent increase year-over-year."

Good Lord, I thought that only happened to our lazy coaches at Iowa! Sorry.........

 

[MepoDawg#]

Good Lord, I thought that only happened to our lazy coaches at Iowa! Sorry.........

That's what the haters want you to believe.

 

[pacnorthhawkeye]

That's what the haters want you to believe.

Kind of like the OP wanted us to believe this was an actual 'recruiting update' as opposed to more of the OP's 'gut feeling'..... just a wee bit of a click bait thread title there

 

[Colorado_Tigerhawk]

Kind of like the OP wanted us to believe this was an actual 'recruiting update' as opposed to more of the OP's 'gut feeling'..... just a wee bit of a click bait thread title there

I'll be willing to bet that at least 5/8 of the recruits mentioned above for 18' & 19' end up signing with the Hawkeyes. Didn't intend for it to be click bait, as I do put together a lot of research before posting. I just wish there were more discussions regarding Iowa recruiting on this board. This was my original intention. Recruiting is everything...and I think 2018 could be one hell of a year for us. Go Hawks!

 

[Bjornjarnleggr]

wording might be click bait but the OPs list is pretty darn spot on with how I see things, I think a top 30 class is a strong possibility .

 

[Bjornjarnleggr]

PS I hope at least a few of the guys ran across Vodka Sam and a few of Her girlfriends while in town . Just saying .

 

[pacnorthhawkeye]

I'll be willing to bet that at least 5/8 of the recruits mentioned above for 18' & 19' end up signing with the Hawkeyes. Didn't intend for it to be click bait, as I do put together a lot of research before posting. I just wish there were more discussions regarding Iowa recruiting on this board. This was my original intention. Recruiting is everything...and I think 2018 could be one hell of a year for us. Go Hawks!

Just givin ya a hard time rado' hence the smiley winky guy. Appreciate the research as well. And I hope you are right.

 

[Hawks_Rock_12]

Swarm 2018 has the potential to be a breakout year for Hawkeye recruiting. I believe the staff will make it happen!

You feel this way, why ?

 

[paladinhawk]

Swarm 2018 has the potential to be a breakout year for Hawkeye recruiting. I believe the staff will make it happen!

You feel this way, why ?

In Hawkeyeland every year has the potential to be a breakout year since they came up short last year.

All bs aside, I hope that with the younger coaches having a better grip on social media and KF maybe learning something from last years mistakes that recruiting will improve. I think Iowa will always be a developmental program, but they should be able to use recent NFL success to sell development to 4* players.

 

[megahawk]

Any updates on how Junior day went?

No Inside info on how Junior Day went, but my guess is everyone loved Iowa and Iowa is definitely one of their favorites right now.

 

[Suterman]

No Inside info on how Junior Day went, but my guess is everyone loved Iowa and Iowa is definitely one of their favorites right now.

Bingo.

 

[kceasthawk]

In Hawkeyeland every year has the potential to be a breakout year since they came up short last year.

All bs aside, I hope that with the younger coaches having a better grip on social media and KF maybe learning something from last years mistakes that recruiting will improve. I think Iowa will always be a developmental program, but they should be able to use recent NFL success to sell development to 4* players.

We may hope that would be the case, unfortunately your dealing with the mindset of a 17 year old boy. These teenagers have been told since they were small fry that their special, and heaped with praise and adulation. Then a school like Iowa says were going to build you, to teach you, help you to grow into a better player, and young man. I think many of these highly rated players feel like their ready for the big time now, and don't need Iowa's development, even with its track record of success when it comes to the NFL.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

wording might be click bait but the OPs list is pretty darn spot on with how I see things, I think a top 30 class is a strong possibility .

What is interesting is that competition for Midwest recruiting seems to be picking up. Fleck, at Minnesota, should be a recruiting threat. Furthermore, Campbell, at ISU, is recruiting the Midwest much more heavily than past ISU coaching staffs.

On the flip side, Iowa just came off a nice season in '15 (12-2) and a decent season in '16 (8-5). Winning typically helps national exposure ... and that could help Iowa's recruiting. My guess is that on O, Iowa's guys involved in the running game are feeling pretty confident ... and recruits will notice that. Similarly, I expect that the D will be heading into the '17 season with a lot of confidence ... defensive recruits will notice that and likely get a little more excited about Iowa.

Many programs live with the specter of the dreaded coaching "hot seat" ... and recruits usually don't want to have to deal with coaching changes during their time with the program. Obviously Iowa is a program that actively advertises their coaching continuity to recruits. It removes some uncertainty that can put recruits at ease. However, on the other hand, Iowa may not be perceived as a "sexy" program in terms of schemes and style ... and that can potentially count against the Hawks.

Lastly, Iowa has a younger staff now than it had previously. Guys like Brian, LeVar, and Kelvin all bleed black and gold ... they've been Hawks as players. Seth, Tim, and Kelton are all guys who really "fit" the program ... and I anticipate they're all very enthusiastic about the program. So hopefully all the youthful exuberance on the staff will play to Iowa's advantage in the recruiting game.

So how will all the aforementioned factors figure into Iowa's recruiting this year? I have no idea. Hopefully recruiting for the Hawks can continue to pick up. In all honesty, I've been quite happy with BOTH our '16 and '17 classes ... so if the '18 class can be comparable, that would still be fine in my book.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

We may hope that would be the case, unfortunately your dealing with the mindset of a 17 year old boy. These teenagers have been told since they were small fry that their special, and heaped with praise and adulation. Then a school like Iowa says were going to build you, to teach you, help you to grow into a better player, and young man. I think many of these highly rated players feel like their ready for the big time now, and don't need Iowa's development, even with its track record of success when it comes to the NFL.

Fabulous post - I think your perspective is spot-on! The fact that the Iowa coaches actually respect the intelligence of the players and "tell them things as they are" ... as opposed to what they want to hear - some players appreciate it. However, with others, it certainly CAN conflict with their youthful egotism.

 

[Hawks_Rock_12]

In Hawkeyeland every year has the potential to be a breakout year since they came up short last year.

All bs aside, I hope that with the younger coaches having a better grip on social media and KF maybe learning something from last years mistakes that recruiting will improve. I think Iowa will always be a developmental program, but they should be able to use recent NFL success to sell development to 4* players.

Not trying to be negative but tell me something new. Under KF we've seen coaching changes before and the NFL success is nothing new. I've never seen a change in recruiting, hope I'm wrong but I think it will a normal recruiting class.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Now, if we're talking speculation based on "reason" ... Iowa will always have the best chance with guys who are in the heart of our recruiting territory. We'll also often have great luck with guys who are in positions where we have great need.

For example, lets consider some Iowa kids who Iowa has an above-average chance of landing:
- Linderbaum (DT from Solon) - Solon guys tend to be strong Iowa leans
- Waggoner (DE from WDM Dowling) - Iowa's luck with WDM Valley sucks ... but Iowa has had success recruiting Dowling
- Doyle (LB from IC West) - Coach Doyle's kid ... should be a lock

Additionally, Iowa has had some decent luck recruiting Illinois as of late (5 in the '16 class, 4 in the '17 class, already 1 in the '18 class). Recently, we've had luck around Crystal Lake, Naperville, and Oswego ... just to name a few places. Consequently, Iowa might have luck with the following guys:
- Shannon (DT from Oswego) - Kelly-Martin is from the same area ... we also offered him quite early
- Evans (ATH from Crystal Lake) - He's from the same high school as Jenkins. Also, Romeo McKnight is also from Crystal Lake.
- Sanborn (LB from Lake Zurich) - Iowa was in on him early AND LB is a huge position need for the '18 class.

I'm not saying that Iowa will land all the aforementioned guys ... however, Iowa should definitely be in the thick of things in the recruitment of those guys. I expect that we'll land a good number of them.

Also, given all the RBs that Iowa has lost of late ... and given that Wadley will be the CLEAR #1 RB in '17 ... I anticipate that we might enter the '18 season without an obvious #1 RB option. Consequently, this perceived opportunity may help Iowa in recruiting at RB for the '18 season.

 

[TKingpin]

Is Bulaga also from Crystal Lake? I think so. He may be ancient History to these kids, though

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Is Bulaga also from Crystal Lake? I think so. He may be ancient History to these kids, though

He went to Marian Catholic (Woodstock, IL).

 

[funnyfletcher]

Wyatt Blake is also from the Crystal Lake area, pretty highly rated OL, but hasn't been offered yet. Kind of curious on that one. I think Iowa has a great shot at some of the Missouri kids. Michael Thompson and Trevor Trout would be nice. Thompson seemed to really enjoy his visit and Trout is friends with Tyler Cook and AJ. Dashon Bussell has Iowa as his leader and will announce his school in June. Seems like jr day was a success. A lot of great athletes were on campus, been reading a lot of great reviews.

 

[Birky]

Ghost, as usual you're killin' it, man.

I have nothing else to add.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Ghost, as usual you're killin' it, man.

I have nothing else to add.

I appreciate it ... but one of my favorite posters concerning recruiting is SigMaintHawk. That individual, perhaps through memberships, is privy to some good info ... and they really closely track recruiting. Thus, I appreciate their posts.

Also, I enjoy David1979's posts on recruiting ... although that individual seems to have gotten a little jaded/negative about aspects of the Hawks through the past season.

Hopefully they'll eventually jump aboard this thread and share their thoughts too.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Swarm18
1. Dashon Bussell
2. Tyler Linderbaum
3. Samson Evans
4. Tyrik Henderson (close relationship with coach Bell)

Concerning Tyrik Henderson - he's also a Glenbard North player. Another guy we have offered on his team is another DB named Greg Newsome. If we could land Tyrik ... that could potentially improve our chances to land Newsome.

 

[Birky]

I appreciate it ... but one of my favorite posters concerning recruiting is SigMaintHawk. That individual, perhaps through memberships, is privy to some good info ... and they really closely track recruiting. Thus, I appreciate their posts.

Also, I enjoy David1979's posts on recruiting ... although that individual seems to have gotten a little jaded/negative about aspects of the Hawks through the past season.

Hopefully they'll eventually jump aboard this thread and share their thoughts too.

Those guys are among my favorites too.

 

[David1979]

Now, if we're talking speculation based on "reason" ... Iowa will always have the best chance with guys who are in the heart of our recruiting territory. We'll also often have great luck with guys who are in positions where we have great need.

For example, lets consider some Iowa kids who Iowa has an above-average chance of landing:
- Linderbaum (DT from Solon) - Solon guys tend to be strong Iowa leans
- Waggoner (DE from WDM Dowling) - Iowa's luck with WDM Valley sucks ... but Iowa has had success recruiting Dowling
- Doyle (LB from IC West) - Coach Doyle's kid ... should be a lock

Additionally, Iowa has had some decent luck recruiting Illinois as of late (5 in the '16 class, 4 in the '17 class, already 1 in the '18 class). Recently, we've had luck around Crystal Lake, Naperville, and Oswego ... just to name a few places. Consequently, Iowa might have luck with the following guys:
- Shannon (DT from Oswego) - Kelly-Martin is from the same area ... we also offered him quite early
- Evans (ATH from Crystal Lake) - He's from the same high school as Perkins. Also, Romeo McKnight is also from Crystal Lake.
- Sanborn (LB from Lake Zurich) - Iowa was in on him early AND LB is a huge position need for the '18 class.

I'm not saying that Iowa will land all the aforementioned guys ... however, Iowa should definitely be in the thick of things in the recruitment of those guys. I expect that we'll land a good number of them.

Also, given all the RBs that Iowa has lost of late ... and given that Wadley will be the CLEAR #1 RB in '17 ... I anticipate that we might enter the '18 season without an obvious #1 RB option. Consequently, this perceived opportunity may help Iowa in recruiting at RB for the '18 season.

Agree. I think it will be awhile before we know if Iowa has a legit chance with some of the bigger out of state recruits like the top Missouri kids.

 

[David1979]

What is interesting is that competition for Midwest recruiting seems to be picking up. Fleck, at Minnesota, should be a recruiting threat. Furthermore, Campbell, at ISU, is recruiting the Midwest much more heavily than past ISU coaching staffs.

On the flip side, Iowa just came off a nice season in '15 (12-2) and a decent season in '16 (8-5). Winning typically helps national exposure ... and that could help Iowa's recruiting. My guess is that on O, Iowa's guys involved in the running game are feeling pretty confident ... and recruits will notice that. Similarly, I expect that the D will be heading into the '17 season with a lot of confidence ... defensive recruits will notice that and likely get a little more excited about Iowa.

Many programs live with the specter of the dreaded coaching "hot seat" ... and recruits usually don't want to have to deal with coaching changes during their time with the program. Obviously Iowa is a program that actively advertises their coaching continuity to recruits. It removes some uncertainty that can put recruits at ease. However, on the other hand, Iowa may not be perceived as a "sexy" program in terms of schemes and style ... and that can potentially count against the Hawks.

Lastly, Iowa has a younger staff now than it had previously. Guys like Brian, LeVar, and Kelvin all bleed black and gold ... they've been Hawks as players. Seth, Tim, and Kelton are all guys who really "fit" the program ... and I anticipate they're all very enthusiastic about the program. So hopefully all the youthful exuberance on the staff will play to Iowa's advantage in the recruiting game.

So how will all the aforementioned factors figure into Iowa's recruiting this year? I have no idea. Hopefully recruiting for the Hawks can continue to pick up. In all honesty, I've been quite happy with BOTH our '16 and '17 classes ... so if the '18 class can be comparable, that would still be fine in my book.

I think you are right about the young and new staff. I think they will be a plus in recruiting

 

[RogerKint]

I am hoping that by Sunday we have 3 new commitments. Give them a week to digest their visit.

 

[Bjornjarnleggr]

Usually commits from weekend visits the following Mon or Tues if you follow the trends . Kids who want to pull the trigger based on 1 visit dont usually wait a week , 3 commits in next couple days I would say is being very optimistic, that said I would be very happy if that happens .

 

[David1979]

None of the kids seemed ready to commit. At least not the ones I read about

 

[Johnsoda123]

Do you think KF tells a 2019 recruit he will be the coach all 4-5 years of that recruits career? He would be almost 70.

 

[TheHawkeyeDudeAbides]

Wyatt Blake is also from the Crystal Lake area, pretty highly rated OL, but hasn't been offered yet. Kind of curious on that one. I think Iowa has a great shot at some of the Missouri kids. Michael Thompson and Trevor Trout would be nice. Thompson seemed to really enjoy his visit and Trout is friends with Tyler Cook and AJ. Dashon Bussell has Iowa as his leader and will announce his school in June. Seems like jr day was a success. A lot of great athletes were on campus, been reading a lot of great reviews.

Look at Wyatt's films and you won't be as impressed as you would of his teammate Jeff Jones or '19 recruit Trevor Keegan. Don't expect an Iowa Offer for WB.

Trout liek Iowa and Iowa really could pull a big catch if Trout, Thompson, and Ronnie Perkins came on board. Could be a domino effect that could net Iowa some big bodies.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Look at Wyatt's films and you won't be as impressed as you would of his teammate Jeff Jones or '19 recruit Trevor Keegan. Don't expect an Iowa Offer for WB.

Trout liek Iowa and Iowa really could pull a big catch if Trout, Thompson, and Ronnie Perkins came on board. Could be a domino effect that could net Iowa some big bodies.

Yeah - some really nice Missouri talent is out there for programs to land. It would be fabulous if Iowa could land at least some of them. However, that said, there will still be the issue about "scholarship-arithmetic" ... and the way the coaches will be wanting to distribute scholarships.

"On paper" Iowa again appears to be somewhat limited in terms of scholarship-number. Here are our '17 seniors who are on scholarship:
O: Wadley, VandeBerg, Wisnieski, Welsh, Myers, Boettger
D: Bazata, Jewell, Niemann, Bower, Ward, M. Taylor
ST: Kluver

Thus, 13 spots will be opening up due to graduation. Now, what sort of attrition might we expect? Given that Iowa is a developmental program that builds its success from the grind of everyday hard work ... that leads to a natural base-line level of attrition. Furthermore, it's not uncommon for guys to get caught behind in terms of grades and/or suffer from homesickness. Also, counting in the attrition category are those 4th year JRs who likely won't even sniff any playing time ... so they decide to leave after they graduate.

Just taking a wild stab at candidates for attrition:
- Wiegers (if he he's lower than 2nd string exiting spring camp)
- Joly (if he remains low on the depth chart)
- Reynolds (this is a stretch, the kid seems like a guy who really grew up bleeding black and gold)
- Ellis (he probably leaves sooner rather than later)
- Nixon (enters the program as potentially an academic liability - will he be able to remain eligible?)
- a DE (we have a bunch of young talented guys - I'd imagine that some guys are starting to feel as though it's getting "crowded")
- a LB (some guys get impatient about playing sooner rather than later)
- a CB (Iowa lured in kids because they saw opportunity ... however, Phil doesn't usually rotate guys there too much ... thus, if a guy sees himself lower down the totem-pole, he might bolt early)

I doubt all my hunches are on the mark. However, I could still see Iowa's '18 class swell to around 18 guys. Thus, given this as a tentative "target-number" ... at what positions will we want to distribute scholarships?

 

[Bjornjarnleggr]

seems every year at least 1 guy cant go on due to injuries as well and they carry on with a schollie that doesn't count against the 85 .