Tag: 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes Recruiting

Kenneth Merrieweather grabs third 247Sports crystal ball prediction to the Iowa Hawkeyes

247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong put in the third crystal ball prediction for 2023 EDGE Kenneth Merrieweather to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports’ director of football recruiting, submitted the third crystal ball prediction for class of 2023 EDGE Kenneth Merrieweather to commit to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Merrieweather was on hand for the Hawkeyes’ big recruiting weekend and apparently the intel Wiltfong heard coming out of the weekend was enough to swing the pendulum in Iowa’s direction. According to 247Sports, Merrieweather’s top two choices are Iowa and Purdue. That duo is listed as “warm” in his interests section.

Wiltfong joins fellow 247Sports colleagues Allen Trieu and Sean Bock of HawkeyeInsider as experts that have crystal ball predictions in for Merrieweather to the Hawkeyes. Trieu submitted his crystal ball prediction on April 24 and Bock submitted his on April 28.

The fact that Wiltfong felt ready to join those two projections following Merrieweather’s official visit to Iowa seems significant. In addition to Iowa and Purdue, Merrieweather also holds Power Five offers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse.

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-3, 235 pound EDGE out of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Mich., is a three-star recruit, the No. 50 EDGE and the No. 14 player from Michigan. On3 rates Merrieweather as a three-star talent, the No. 75 EDGE and the No. 15 player from Michigan.

Over the weekend, both Tom Kakert and Blair Sanderson of Rivals put in FutureCasts for Merrieweather to Iowa as well. According to Rivals, Merrieweather is a three-star recruit and the No. 18 player from Michigan.

Thanks to recent June commitments from offensive tackles Trevor Lauck and Cannon Leonard, running back Kendrick Raphael and EDGE David Caulker, the Hawkeyes currently own the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class according to 247Sports and the No. 20 class according to Rivals.

Here’s a look at Merrieweather’s junior season Hudl highlights at Martin Luther King High School, a glance at his full recruiting profile and the Hawkeyes’ entire list of 2023 commits.

2023 OT target Christopher Terek picks up pair of 247Sports crystal ball predictions to Iowa Hawkeyes

A pair of 247Sports experts put in crystal ball predictions for three-star offensive tackle Christopher Terek to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa has some serious momentum on the recruiting trail. After its largest and most important recruiting weekend of the year, the Hawkeyes already picked up a commitment from talented, four-star offensive tackle Trevor Lauck out of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

Lauck’s commitment comes on the heels of fellow June pledges from four-star running back Kendrick Raphael of Naples High School (Fla.), three-star offensive tackle Cannon Leonard of Iroquois West High School (Ill.) and three-star EDGE David Caulker of North High School (Iowa).

These decisions from Caulker, Lauck, Leonard and Raphael bring Iowa’s current commitment total in the 2023 class to a baker’s dozen. According to 247Sports, the Hawkeyes’ 13 commitments comprise the nation’s No. 17 class. Meanwhile, Rivals rates Iowa’s 2023 class No. 18 nationally and On3 ranks the Hawkeyes’ current commits as the No. 29 class.

Across those respective team rankings, Iowa has the Big Ten’s No. 5 class according to 247Sports, the Big Ten’s No. 6 class according to Rivals and the Big Ten’s No. 6 class according to On3.

According to a pair of 247Sports experts, it should be about to get even better. 247Sports’ Sam Webb of TheMichiganInsider and David Eickholt of HawkeyeInsider both submitted crystal ball predictions for three-star offensive tackle Christopher Terek to commit to the Hawkeyes on June 23 and June 24, respectively. On3’s EJ Holland also put in a prediction for Terek to Iowa on June 20.

Terek was on hand this past weekend for Iowa’s big recruiting weekend and he is deciding between Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. The 6-foot-6, 295 pound offensive tackle is rated by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 56 offensive tackle and the No. 16 player from Illinois.

On3 ranks the Glenbard West High School product as the No. 54 interior offensive lineman and the No. 12 player from Illinois in the 2023 class, while Rivals lists Terek as the No. 53 offensive tackle and the No. 9 player from Illinois.

Included below is a look at Terek’s junior season Hudl tape from Glenbard West High School, his full recruiting profile and Iowa’s full list of 2023 commits.

Trio of experts submit predictions for 5-star OT Kadyn Proctor to commit to Iowa Hawkeyes

Three more recruiting experts submitted predictions for five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor to commit to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It was already a great weekend for Iowa. After hosting its biggest recruiting weekend of the year, the Hawkeyes picked up a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Trevor Lauck out of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

Lauck represents the third offensive line commit in Iowa’s 2023 class, joining three-star interior offensive lineman Leighton Jones of Brownsburg High School in Indiana and three-star offensive tackle Cannon Leonard of Iroquois West High School in Illinois.

Of course, one of the biggest names in attendance in Iowa City this past weekend was five-star, in-state offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor of Southeast Polk High School. Proctor narrowed his list of potential college choices to Iowa and Alabama a little more than a week ago and added the official visit to the Hawkeyes.

Now more than ever, it seems like just a matter of time before Proctor announces a commitment to Iowa. In the past two days, three more recruiting experts submitted predictions for the 6-foot-7, 330 pound offensive tackle to choose the Hawkeyes.

247Sports’ David Eickholt of HawkeyeInsider joined his colleagues, Parker Thune and Sean Bock, in projecting Proctor to Iowa with a crystal ball prediction yesterday afternoon.

Rivals’ Clint Cosgrove put in a FutureCast for Proctor to the Hawkeyes yesterday afternoon and Josh McCuistion did as well this morning. That pair joins HawkeyeReport publisher Tom Kakert as Rivals experts that are projecting Proctor to Iowa.

If this indeed winds up being the case, the pieces are beginning to fall into place for a historic offensive line class for the Hawkeyes.

According to ESPN, Proctor is a five-star recruit the nation’s No. 6 player overall in the 2023 class, the No. 2 offensive tackle and the top player from Iowa. Rivals also lists Proctor as a five-star prospect, the country’s No. 14 player nationally, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from Iowa.

247Sports and On3 both have Proctor rated as a four-star recruit. According to 247Sports, the Southeast Polk product is the nation’s No. 7 player overall, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from Iowa. Meanwhile, On3 ranks Proctor as the No. 31 player nationally, the No. 4 offensive tackle and the top player from Iowa.

The 247Sports composite rankings and the On3 consensus rankings both have Proctor as a five-star recruit. In the 247Sports composite, Proctor is the No. 10 player nationally, the No. 2 offensive tackle and the top player from Iowa. In the On3 consensus rankings, Proctor checks in as the country’s No. 5 player nationally, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from Iowa.

Included below is a look at some of Proctor’s junior season Hudl tape from Southeast Polk as well as a glimpse at his full recruiting profile and Iowa’s current set of 2023 commits.

4-star 2023 OT Trevor Lauck commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes, becomes 13th commit

Four-star offensive tackle Trevor Lauck committed to Iowa, fortifying the Hawkeyes up front and representing the 13th pledge so far.

A big recruiting weekend for Iowa has already netted the Hawkeyes their first commitment. Class of 2023 offensive tackle Trevor Lauck announced his pledge to the Hawkeyes Sunday evening. He is a 6-foot-6, 285 pound from Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

According to Rivals, Lauck is a four-star commit, the nation’s No. 229 player overall, the No. 25 offensive tackle, and the No. 3 player from Indiana. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Lauck is also regarded as a four-star commit, the No. 396 player nationally, the No. 33 offensive tackle and the No. 5 player from the Hoosier State.

ESPN and On3 both rate Lauck as a three-star commit. According to On3, Lauck is the nation’s No. 40 interior offensive lineman and the No. 8 player from Indiana. The On3 consensus rankings has Lauck as the country’s No. 441 player overall and as the No. 34 interior offensive lineman. Finally, ESPN rates Lauck as the No. 48 offensive tackle and the No. 5 player from Indiana.

“I’d like to thank God for putting me in the position I am in and for the blessings he’s gifted me with. I want to thank my mom, dad, family, and friends for everything they do for me and their endless support. Thank you coach Otley, Rodenberg, Quintana, and all the Roncalli staff. I want to thank each coach that has recruited me and built a relationship with me throughout the process. With that being said, I am committed to the University of Iowa! Go Hawkeyes!!!” Lauck wrote in his Twitter announcement.

Lauck represents the 13th commitment in Iowa’s 2023 class that currently ranks No. 17 nationally according to 247Sports and No. 18 according to Rivals. The Hawkeyes’ class is headlined in part by quarterback commit Marco Lainez III, who recently detailed why he’s remained loyal to Iowa.

Lauck also joins three-star offensive linemen Leighton Jones and Cannon Leonard. Here’s a look at Lauck’s junior season Hudl tape at Roncalli High School and a look at his full recruiting profile.

Social media reaction from the Iowa Hawkeyes’ visitors following big visit weekend

Iowa hosted a number of top targets this weekend. Here were their reactions on social media to the recruiting weekend that was.

Iowa just finished hosting its largest and most important official visit weekend of the year. A series of 2023 commits were on hand, including quarterback Marco Lainez III, athletes Aidan Hall, Zach Lutmer and Alex Mota, offensive lineman Leighton Jones, defensive ends Chase Brackney and David Caulker, linebacker Ben Kueter, defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and defensive back John Nestor.

Beyond those 2023 pledges, the Hawkeyes also welcomed in 13 key targets. Of course, that group included five-star offensive tackle target Kadyn Proctor of Southeast Polk High School, who just narrowed his list of possible college choices down to Iowa or Alabama. If you believe a pair of Rivals experts, then Proctor mixing this Hawkeye visit in means he’ll ultimately commit to Iowa.

In addition to Proctor, Iowa brought in fellow 2023 offensive tackles Logan Howland of the Hun School, Trevor Lauck of Roncalli High School and Christopher Terek of Glenbard West High School. A pair of tight ends made the trip, too. Mount Vernon High School’s George Burhenn and St. Louis University’s Zach Ortwerth.

Along the defensive line, Iowa welcomed in Martin Luther King High School edge rusher Kenneth Merrieweather, Cathedral High School defensive lineman Kendrick Gilbert, Washington High School defensive lineman Trevor Buhr and Olathe South High School edge rusher Jordan Allen.

Also in attendance were athletes Asa Newsom of Waverly-Shell Rock High School and Kahlil Tate of Kenwood Academy and wide receiver Jaron Tibbs of Cathedral High School. Here’s a look at the full list of visitors and their 247Sports recruiting profiles. Below, several of the Hawkeyes’ visitors shared their reactions to their trip to Iowa City.

‘I just want to win’: Iowa Hawkeyes QB commit Marco Lainez III says he patterns game after Brad Banks

In an interview with From the Hawkeye of the Storm, Iowa quarterback commit Marco Lainez III said he patterns his game after Brad Banks.

Iowa fans should be excited about what the 2023 class has in store for the future. The Hawkeyes currently have 12 commits and the class is ranked No. 19 nationally by 247Sports.

Of course, one of the headliners in Iowa’s 2023 class is 6-foot-2, 220 pound quarterback Marco Lainez III out of the Hun School in Princeton, N.J. According to 247Sports, Lainez is a three-star commit, the nation’s No. 22 quarterback and the No. 7 player from New Jersey.

Rivals also ranks Lainez as a three-star commit, but the service grades him a little bit higher and as the No. 14 quarterback in the 2023 class. Lastly, On3 lists Lainez as a three-star commit, the nation’s No. 26 quarterback and the No. 6 player from New Jersey.

The senior-to-be committed to the Hawkeyes on Dec. 13, 2021, and has kept that pledge to Iowa following former quarterbacks coach Ken O’Keefe’s decision to step away in February.

Lainez joined the From the Hawkeye of the Storm podcast to discuss a wide-ranging list of topics. The future Hawkeye said that he’s actually looked to Iowa’s past for one of his game’s biggest influences, patterning himself after former Hawkeye great quarterback Brad Banks. That will no doubt have Iowa fans feeling some kind of way. Perhaps a bit nostalgic and equally electrified.

It’s an excellent interview with host Cory Brada and Hawkeye fans will want to sit down and watch the entirety of it. Here’s the full interview with Lainez and some of the items and quotes that caught our attention attached below.

Iowa Hawkeyes set for biggest recruiting weekend of the year headlined by big names

The Iowa Hawkeyes have their biggest recruiting weekend of the year as they welcome 22 potential 2023 recruits to campus. Here’s the guests.

This Friday to Sunday will be the biggest and arguably most important recruiting weekend for the Hawkeyes this year. They are welcoming 22 potential recruits to campus that are part of the 2023 class. Of the 22 visiting, nine are committed to the Hawkeyes and 13 still have yet to decide where they will call home next fall.

The group is headlined by five-star tackle Kadyn Proctor, who is rated No. 10 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings. He has narrowed his recruitment down to Iowa and the Alabama Crimson Tide. This weekend could play a big factor into his decision.

Another important visitor is quarterback commit Marco Lainez III. His presence could be very beneficial to those uncommitted and be a proponent for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa will have many others on campus as well. Let’s get familiar with the cohort descending upon Iowa City this weekend. Included is each recruit’s position, high school, 247Sports rating, and their measurables.

2023 PG Brock Harding commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes, joins teammate Owen Freeman

Point guard Brock Harding out of Moline High School committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes, becoming the second pledge in the 2023 class.

Iowa men’s basketball is having one heck of a day. Several hours after the Hawkeyes picked up a commitment from class of 2024 power forward Cooper Koch, Iowa has another in the form of 2023 point guard Brock Harding.

The 6-foot, 155 pound point guard committed to Iowa after earning his offer just three days ago. Harding is teammates at Moline High School with now fellow Hawkeye commit Owen Freeman. Freeman is a 6-foot-10, 220 pound center that’s rated as a three-star by 247Sports.

Harding is also a three-star recruit according to 247Sports. According to the recruiting experts at 247Sports, Harding is the nation’s No. 33 point guard and the No. 7 player from Illinois in the 2023 class.

On3 also lists Harding as a three-star commit. In the On3 consensus rankings, Harding is regarded as the nation’s No. 163 player overall, the No. 27 point guard and the No. 5 player from Illinois.

Harding chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Appalachian State, Bradley, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, IPFW, Loyola (Chi.), Radford, Rice, Saint Louis, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.

After receiving his offer from Iowa on June 20, Harding spoke with HawkeyeInsider’s Sean Bock to discuss what his primary recruiter at Iowa, former assistant coach Kirk Speraw, liked about his game.

“When Speraw saw me in the winter, he liked that I could pass, dribble, and shoot. He liked that I was under control with the ball. I was quick, but never too quick, where I couldn’t control myself. I did a great job of controlling the game, talking, and being the true point guard. That’s something that they wanted whether it be me or someone else in a different class. That’s something they think they could see me doing there,” Harding told HawkeyeInsider.

Iowa’s new assistant coach Matt Gatens liked Harding enough to extend the offer and it’s clear that Harding sees himself fitting in nicely with the Hawkeyes.

“I like that they have five guys on the court that can score at all times. They play up and down and get shots up. That’s somewhere where I can really affect the game is going up and down, and not just playing the half-court game. I’m really good in the full court with creating stuff for myself and others, and I feel like they do that with all five guys,” Harding said to HawkeyeInsider.

As evidenced in his AAU highlights below from Courtside Films on YouTube, Harding has terrific handles, excellent court vision and a pretty jumper. Here’s a look at Harding’s AAU highlights with MidPro Academy and his full recruiting profile.

2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes

One day after receiving his offer, 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard announced his commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One day after receiving his offer from Iowa, class of 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-9, 265 pound offensive tackle is out of Iroquois West High School in Gilman, Ill.

According to 247Sports, Leonard is a two-star talent, the nation’s No. 149 offensive tackles and the No. 73 player from the state of Illinois. Meanwhile, Rivals ranks Leonard as a three-star offensive tackle.

“After taking time to talk with my family, I have decided that I will be committing to further my academic and athletic career at The University of Iowa #SWARM23,” Leonard wrote in his Twitter announcement.

Leonard joins three-star Leighton Jones as an offensive line commit in the Hawkeyes’ 2023 class. Jones is regarded as the country’s No. 31 interior offensive lineman and the No. 5 player from Indiana by 247Sports.

Leonard also joins athlete Zach Lutmer out of Central Lyon High School, athlete Aidan Hall out of Harlan Community High School, edge rusher and defensive end David Caulker out of North High School, and running back Kendrick Raphael out of Naples High School as Iowa commits over the past two months.

Ahead of his commitment today to Iowa, HawkeyeReport editor Blair Sanderson of Rivals caught up with Leonard to discuss his offer from Iowa and the relationship Leonard has been able to foster with Hawkeye offensive line coach George Barnett.

“The main thing that impressed him and the rest of the staff was when I really showed out and had an amazing performance at their camp two weeks ago,” Leonard said. “I was amazed. Iowa has always been a school I have looked at, especially with how important offensive line play is to them.”

Leonard chose the Hawkeyes over other offers from schools such as Army, Ball State, Florida Atlantic, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.

With the commitment, Iowa’s 2023 class has grown to 12 commits overall. Here’s a look at Leonard’s Hudl highlights from his junior season at Iroquois West High School, his recruiting profile and the Hawkeyes’ full list of 2023 commits.

Pair of Rivals experts list it as ‘fact’ that Iowa is the team to beat for 5-star OT Kadyn Protcor

A pair of Rivals experts listed it as “fact” that Iowa is the leader for five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

About a month ago, there was a panic among the Iowa fanbase. They had been heavily linked with five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, and when the Hawkeyes were not listed as one of his summer visits, it blindsided fans.

The panic was premature, though. Recently, Proctor cancelled his other summer visits, added a final visit to Iowa City and narrowed his potential college choices down to Iowa and Alabama.

Now, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove both believe that it is Iowa’s race to win. The pair listed it as “fact” that the Hawkeyes should be considered as the team to beat for Proctor.

Counting out Alabama is foolish, but I still think Iowa is in the best position by far to land the five-star offensive lineman. Proctor sort of messed around with his official visit schedule before – putting Arkansas State on it for example – but now that he’s focused on only Alabama and Iowa it puts his recruitment in focus again. The Crimson Tide have done such a good job developing players across the board, but Iowa has done a great job with offensive linemen. It’s the in-state school, his friend and teammate, Xavier Nwankpa, plays there and Proctor could be the next Tristan Wirfs in Iowa City. That’s probably too much to turn down. – Gorney, Rivals.

Cosgrove echoed those sentiments, highlighting Proctor’s relationship with Nwankpa as one of the primary reasons why he’s confident the ultimate decision is the Hawkeyes.

Proctor has now canceled all of his other official visits and announced that Iowa and Alabama are the final two in his recruitment. While I see Alabama having a chance here, my gut says Proctor stays home with the goal of building something special with Nwankpa. – Cosgrove, Rivals.

It should be a great feeling for any Hawkeye fan to know that Iowa is in a two-school race for a prospect with Alabama. Iowa has never traditionally been a recruiting powerhouse, typically developing and elevating talent.

However, now Iowa has a chance to get a premium player at a position they specialize in. It shows a trend of Iowa focusing more on recruiting than in past years. Five-star saftey Xavier Nwankpa showed a potential turning point for Iowa as a destination school, and a big time recruitment such as Proctor would be a massive statement to the rest of college football.

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