Hawkeye Recruiting Update

Recruiting Update–Arrend Jelsma 

For Hawkeye fans, a new season brings a whole new year for high hopes and expectations. This year will prove even more interesting with fresh new faces all around the coaching staff. It’s way too early to tell what the new coaching staff will do on the field but they have definitely made a splash in the recruiting process this summer.

Year to date, the Hawkeyes have landed 15 commits already compared to only 5 this time a year ago. Here is a quick snapshot of how it breaks down:

Top 5 Commits

 

   4 star DE David Kenney – it’s always a good sign when the top recruit plays the most important position on the field. We have to keep a solid pass rush to do well in the B1G.

 #19 ranked G Colin Goebel – talent comes in and talent goes out to the NFL. The Hawkeye o-line always rebuilds.

   S Delano Hill – physical player with good speed. Three safety commits already so I’m sure they will be plugged in wherever they can be best utilized.

  WR Derrick Willies – Big body wide receiver, which typically pan out for the Hawkeyes. Hopefully he can be the type of playmaker we have grown accustomed to.

  QB Nic Shimonek – Not a highly touted recruit, but the new Offensive Coordinator Greg Davis went back to Texas to find his man at QB. This will be the first QB recruited specifically by Greg Davis to run his system…no pressure!

 

Top 5 Remaining Targets w/ Iowa Offers

#6 MLB Tim Kimbrough (Warren Central HS) Indianapolis, IN 6-1/225/4.60

#9 WR Laquon Treadwell (Crete-Monee HS) Crete, IL 6-3/190

#20 OLB Zayd Issah (Central Dauphin SHS) Harrisburg, PA 6-4/210/4.55

#22 DT Darius Latham (North Central HS) Indianapolis, IN 6-5/285

#22 TE Jon Wisnieski (Dowling HS) W Des Moines, IA 6-5/215

 

Top 5 Remaining Position Needs

RB – No RB commits yet, and we all know about the ‘curse’. With all the top RB’s already gone, our hope lies in a NJ running back named Zaire Williams. Hopefully our track record in Jersey helps us land another stud (ie Shonn Greene).

TE – Major need here for down the road and high likelihood we land Wisnieski. Hopefully we can get him locked up soon.

DE/DT – You can never have enough pass rushers, David Kenney was a huge commit for us but we need more. It would be great to pair him with Darius Latham, not sure how likely that is.

WR – The new OC Greg Davis said it best, we have to get more speed. We really need Treadwill out of Illinois.

LB – It’s hard to imagine our young LB core moving on but we have to add some youth. We have already had some luck out of Indiana this year so keep an eye on Tim Kimbrough.