Luke's article:
https://iowa.n.rivals.com/news/young-is-a-hardworking-leader
As a first year head coach at Monona Grove, Brandon Beckwith was glad to have the running ability and leadership skills of Toren Young. Now, Young is getting ready to take those traits to Iowa City where he will play for the Hawkeyes next year. We caught up with Beckwith to talk about what kind of player the Hawkeyes are getting, what he has heard from the Iowa coaching staff about his future, and much more.
Q: What type of player has he been overall for you?
BECKWITH: As a freshman right way you could tell during training sessions that he was a very competitive guy that has a violent running style. He really just wanted to compete. We moved him up that year to JV but by the end of the year we brought him up to return kickoffs. We are a pretty good program so it was a little unusual. His sophomore year, he was starting tailback and we won a state championship. He really showed his leadership qualities as the year wore on. As a junior and senior, he really took over the team with his leadership n the field, in the classroom, and all over the place. He has been very instrumental in everything we do at our school.
Q: What are his main strengths as a player?
BECKWITH: On the field, he is a downhill runner who is not going to let people take him down. His best strength is his competitive effort and his work ethic. I just met with Coach Ferentz, Coach Wallace, and Coach Davis and we were talking about that in looking back he has not missed a day of high school. Not many kids in school can say that. He knew what it would take to find a way and had the determination to do it. He has never missed a workout. He is self made in the weight room and is in there every day.
Q: What is he working on most as a player?
BECKWITH: He still strength trains every day. When springs comes, he'll start doing more outdoor work. He actually throws shot put for the track team. He used to run and jump but last year tried shot put and was a state qualifier. He may also do some jumping. He will continue lifting, running, and doing explosive training. Pretty much the first week we finish he'll be out the door and down to Iowa City. He is ready from the stand point as a high school athlete. He is a guy that sometimes will be at the school from 7 in the morning until 10 at night. He is out working hard and doing what he has to in order to be successful.
Q: How was the meeting with the Iowa coaches (Thursday)?
BECKWITH: It was great. The meeting itself was a little bit of closure with Signing Day coming up next Wednesday. We have established a relationship with the coaches. Seth Wallace has been the main recruiting coordinator and he has done a great job. He is very genuine and so is their whole staff. We talked about the little things from where it started and how he got to where he is today. We shot the crap a little bit. He is a guy that they see potentially playing right away. With his size and competitiveness, he could jump to play as a true freshman. Obviously it will take a lot of hard work but he won't shy away from that. He'll do whatever it takes to be successful.
Q: Where do they see him at position wise?
BECKWITH: They still see him as a tailback. They have never really waivered from that since the beginning. He has met with the running back coach many times. He just had his official and was going through X's and O's with the running backs coach. Everything going forward has projected him there and he'll fit their scheme. He is a bigger guy at 220 pounds but is a different style of back and what a lot of colleges wished they had.
Q: How did he end up at Iowa during the recruiting process?
BECKWITH: A few years back after his sophomore year, we had him put his tape out there and that is when the process started. I'll say Iowa has been there since the beginning. At the beginning of his junior year, we went down and watched Wisconsin play Iowa. It was me, Toren, and another coach. We really liked the situation there. We went to another game and kept going back and forth. We finally went down to a junior day and that is when Iowa made the first offer to him. Toren had some interest from some other colleges but they were the first one willing to step out and offer him. That is how it went down.
Q: Did any other schools try getting on him late?
BECKWITH: There were schools that make their annual trip but everyone was very respectful and nobody tried to jump in. Wisconsin never came by and talked to him since he committed. You never really know how it goes and you hear stories but really nobody came in and really tried to stick their necks out to get him.
Q: How was he to coach?
BECKWITH: It was great. This past year was my first season as head coach. I had been the defensive coordinator eleven seasons before that. I had been side by side Toren since day one. As a new coach this last season, I thanked God we had him. There are times where you put things on his back. As a new coach, you couldn’t ask for a better guy to hang things for the program on. He accepted the role along with some other seniors and it turned out to be a good year for me as head coach. He knew it was his team ultimately and he is a coachable guy. He is a leader and it went through him.
A three-star prospect, Young finished the season with 304 carries for 2,569 yards and 28 touchdowns for Monona Grove (9-2) during the 2015 season.
See highlights from Young's senior season in the video below.
https://iowa.n.rivals.com/news/young-is-a-hardworking-leader
As a first year head coach at Monona Grove, Brandon Beckwith was glad to have the running ability and leadership skills of Toren Young. Now, Young is getting ready to take those traits to Iowa City where he will play for the Hawkeyes next year. We caught up with Beckwith to talk about what kind of player the Hawkeyes are getting, what he has heard from the Iowa coaching staff about his future, and much more.
Q: What type of player has he been overall for you?
BECKWITH: As a freshman right way you could tell during training sessions that he was a very competitive guy that has a violent running style. He really just wanted to compete. We moved him up that year to JV but by the end of the year we brought him up to return kickoffs. We are a pretty good program so it was a little unusual. His sophomore year, he was starting tailback and we won a state championship. He really showed his leadership qualities as the year wore on. As a junior and senior, he really took over the team with his leadership n the field, in the classroom, and all over the place. He has been very instrumental in everything we do at our school.
Q: What are his main strengths as a player?
BECKWITH: On the field, he is a downhill runner who is not going to let people take him down. His best strength is his competitive effort and his work ethic. I just met with Coach Ferentz, Coach Wallace, and Coach Davis and we were talking about that in looking back he has not missed a day of high school. Not many kids in school can say that. He knew what it would take to find a way and had the determination to do it. He has never missed a workout. He is self made in the weight room and is in there every day.
Q: What is he working on most as a player?
BECKWITH: He still strength trains every day. When springs comes, he'll start doing more outdoor work. He actually throws shot put for the track team. He used to run and jump but last year tried shot put and was a state qualifier. He may also do some jumping. He will continue lifting, running, and doing explosive training. Pretty much the first week we finish he'll be out the door and down to Iowa City. He is ready from the stand point as a high school athlete. He is a guy that sometimes will be at the school from 7 in the morning until 10 at night. He is out working hard and doing what he has to in order to be successful.
Q: How was the meeting with the Iowa coaches (Thursday)?
BECKWITH: It was great. The meeting itself was a little bit of closure with Signing Day coming up next Wednesday. We have established a relationship with the coaches. Seth Wallace has been the main recruiting coordinator and he has done a great job. He is very genuine and so is their whole staff. We talked about the little things from where it started and how he got to where he is today. We shot the crap a little bit. He is a guy that they see potentially playing right away. With his size and competitiveness, he could jump to play as a true freshman. Obviously it will take a lot of hard work but he won't shy away from that. He'll do whatever it takes to be successful.
Q: Where do they see him at position wise?
BECKWITH: They still see him as a tailback. They have never really waivered from that since the beginning. He has met with the running back coach many times. He just had his official and was going through X's and O's with the running backs coach. Everything going forward has projected him there and he'll fit their scheme. He is a bigger guy at 220 pounds but is a different style of back and what a lot of colleges wished they had.
Q: How did he end up at Iowa during the recruiting process?
BECKWITH: A few years back after his sophomore year, we had him put his tape out there and that is when the process started. I'll say Iowa has been there since the beginning. At the beginning of his junior year, we went down and watched Wisconsin play Iowa. It was me, Toren, and another coach. We really liked the situation there. We went to another game and kept going back and forth. We finally went down to a junior day and that is when Iowa made the first offer to him. Toren had some interest from some other colleges but they were the first one willing to step out and offer him. That is how it went down.
Q: Did any other schools try getting on him late?
BECKWITH: There were schools that make their annual trip but everyone was very respectful and nobody tried to jump in. Wisconsin never came by and talked to him since he committed. You never really know how it goes and you hear stories but really nobody came in and really tried to stick their necks out to get him.
Q: How was he to coach?
BECKWITH: It was great. This past year was my first season as head coach. I had been the defensive coordinator eleven seasons before that. I had been side by side Toren since day one. As a new coach this last season, I thanked God we had him. There are times where you put things on his back. As a new coach, you couldn’t ask for a better guy to hang things for the program on. He accepted the role along with some other seniors and it turned out to be a good year for me as head coach. He knew it was his team ultimately and he is a coachable guy. He is a leader and it went through him.
A three-star prospect, Young finished the season with 304 carries for 2,569 yards and 28 touchdowns for Monona Grove (9-2) during the 2015 season.
See highlights from Young's senior season in the video below.
