Tag: Leighton Jones

ESPN names Iowa as one of its top schools recruiting offensive linemen

ESPN is showing Iowa’s recruiting efforts some love, naming the Hawkeyes as one of the nation’s top offensive line recruiters.

When you think of Iowa football, your attention doesn’t really go directly to recruiting. While a successful program, the Hawkeyes do not really have the track record of competing with schools the likes of Ohio State for recruit signatures. Coach Kirk Ferentz knows some of the limitations placed on his program as compared to some others. Typically, Ferentz focuses his attention on team building and player development.

Iowa has done very well at identifying three-star athletes who are system and cultural fits, and turning them into the next crop of players. This is mostly how the Hawkeyes have operated for years, with a lot of success, but the gears are starting to turn a bit.

Again, while they may not be able to compete on a consistent basis with the likes of Alabama and Georgia, they have shown the ability to snag a marquee player on top of their typically strong recruiting.

The area where Iowa can really compete is on the offensive line. In Tom VanHaaren of ESPN’s look at which college football teams have been recruiting the best on offense, the Hawkeyes were one of his picks at the offensive line position.

It’s rare to see a head-to-head recruiting battle between Iowa and Alabama, but the Hawkeyes ultimately won out for in-state five-star tackle Kadyn Proctor. The No. 6 recruit overall, Proctor had nearly every major program after him, but ultimately chose Iowa.

Iowa’s staff already has some younger players at tackle on the roster, including Mason Richman, Tyler Elsbury and a few others, so there won’t be a ton of pressure for Proctor play right away if he’s not ready. The staff also has commitments from three-stars Trevor Lauck, Leighton Jones and Cannon Leonard in this class. – VanHaaren, ESPN.

The commitment of Kadyn Proctor is the perfect example of the strides Iowa is making in recruting. They’ve done extremely well on the offensive line and gotten some really solid recruits.

They have gained a trio of three-star recruits in this class in Trevor Lauck, Leighton Jones and Cannon Leonard. Both Mason Richman and Tyler Elsbury are showcasing the patented Hawkeye player-development magic. Richman shows a ton of potential at left tackle, and Elsbury figures to start at left guard this year.

On top of their typical recruiting class, we’ve also seen Iowa nab a dang good offensive lineman in the past two classes. Connor Colby, a guard that should have been mentioned, was a four-star recruit who started a majority of games as a freshman last year.

And then you have Kadyn Proctor. It is rare to see a team like Iowa beat out Alabama for a recruit, especially when you consider that Alabama is also kind of an offensive lineman factory. Of course, he was an in-state player, but it’s hard to turn down Nick Saban when you are a top-10 overall recruit. And yet, Proctor is set to become a Hawkeye.

Iowa may never be able to recruit on a national level with the likes of Alabama, Georgia, or Ohio State. It’s never been their recipe for success. However, it is becoming evident that Iowa can pull top offensive lineman recruits to Iowa City, and the Hawkeyes have a track record of sending them to the league. We’ll have to see if they can bring in more elite tier offensive line recruits like Proctor in the future.

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Expert predictions flipping from Iowa to Wisconsin for 2023 OT Christoper Terek

After several experts previously had crystal ball predictions in for Christopher Terek to Iowa, his projections are flipping to Wisconsin.

What looked promising for an Iowa commitment just four short days ago suddenly looks like it has reversed course in Wisconsin’s favor.

After Sam Webb of TheMichiganInsider and David Eickholt of HawkeyeInsider submitted 247Sports crystal ball predictions for three-star offensive tackle Christopher Terek to Iowa on June 23 and June 24, it’s now a much different picture.

Now, Eickholt and his colleague at HawkeyeInsider, Sean Bock, both have placed crystal ball predictions in for Terek to Wisconsin this afternoon. Badger247‘s Evan Flood followed suit and also has a crystal ball prediction in for Terek to Wisconsin. 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu has a crystal ball prediction for Terek to the Badgers as well.

The 6-foot-6, 295 pound offensive tackle out of Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill., 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.

Iowa has added June commitments from four-star offensive tackle Trevor Lauck of Roncalli High School (Ind.), 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).

If he committed to Iowa, Terek would join a 2023 class that currently includes aforementioned offensive line commits Lauck and Leonard as well as three-star Leighton Jones out of Brownsburg High School (Ind.). The Hawkeyes’ 2023 class currently ranks No. 17 nationally by 247Sports and No. 20 nationally by Rivals.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard

Looking to add to its 2023 class, the Iowa Hawkeyes offered offensive tackle Cannon Leonard out of Iroquois West High School in Illinois.

After an impressive showing at Iowa’s recent football camp earlier this month, 2023 offensive tackle Cannon Leonard picked up an offer from the Hawkeyes on his unofficial visit.

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.

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.”

The offer from Iowa is the first Big Ten or Power Five offer for Leonard. He also has offers from Army, Ball State, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Illinois State, Long Island, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois and Yale.

Naturally, Iowa is banking on its ability to eye and develop talent that other programs may be overlooking here. If Leonard picks Iowa, he would join three-star offensive lineman Leighton Jones out of Brownsburg High School in Indiana.

The Hawkeyes have 11 commits overall in their 2023 class, including a recent commit from running back Kendrick Raphael. 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.

2023 EDGE David Caulker commits, becomes Iowa Hawkeyes’ 10th pledge

Iowa’s 2023 recruiting class expanded to double-figures with the commitment of three-star edge rusher David Caulker of North High School.

After visiting Iowa during the spring, class of 2023 edge rusher and defensive end David Caulker was back on campus for the Hawkeyes’ recent football camp. The 6-foot-4, 256 pound defensive lineman is out of North High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

After impressing the coaching staff, Caulker picked up that elusive offer from the Hawkeyes. It didn’t take long for him to make a decision either. He committed to Iowa on the same day.

HawkeyeInsider’s David Eickholt detailed Caulker’s commitment over on 247Sports with analysis from his colleague, Allen Trieu.

“Caulker is a high ceiling player. He is still raw but his body type and twitch are what you want in a Big Ten defensive line prospect,” 247Sports’ Allen Trieu told HawkeyeInsider. “Iowa is a place that can develop him and craft those tools. It is a good match for both sides but I am not surprised he has gone on the offer run he has recently because defensive linemen with his skill set are tough to find.” – Eickholt, HawkeyeInsider.

According to 247Sports, Caulker is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 77 edge rusher and the No. 10 player from the state of Iowa. Rivals also lists Caulker as a three-star talent. He also had offers from Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

“First off, I would love to thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Then I would love to thank my teammates, coaches and staff at North High School. I would not have gotten this far without you.

“I would also like to thank any coach who has ever recruited me, I will be forever grateful for the belief you had in me! Finally, I would like to thank Coach Addy, Coach Niemann, and Coach Bell; the impact you’ve had on my life is immeasurable! With that being said, I am 110 percent committed to continuing my academic and football career at the University of Iowa,” Caulker wrote in his commitment announcement.

Caulker becomes the 10th Hawkeye commit in the 2023 class. The full look at Iowa’s 2023 class is below.

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Aidan Hall commits to Iowa, represents the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit

Aidan Hall committed to Iowa and became the Hawkeyes’ ninth 2023 commit. What does he add to an already impressive class?

Aidan Hall picked up an offer from Iowa on May 13 and a trio of experts across 247Sports and Rivals quickly forecasted that he would wind up committing to the Hawkeyes.

Now, that’s officially how it’s played out. Hall committed to Iowa, becoming the Hawkeyes’ ninth pledge in the 2023 recruiting class. Here’s a look at Iowa’s full 2023 commitment tracker.

According to 247Sports, Hall is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 110 athlete and the No. 13 player from Iowa. Hall also represents the fifth in-state commitment for the Hawkeyes.

The 6-foot-2, 200 pound athlete joins athlete Alex Mota of Marion High School, linebacker Ben Kueter of Iowa City High School, defensive lineman Maddux Borcherding-Johnson of Norwalk High School and Zach Lutmer of Central Lyon High School.

Iowa’s other commitments include quarterback Marco Lainez III from the Hun School in Princeton, N.J., defensive end Chase Brackney from Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., offensive lineman Leighton Jones from Brownsburg High School in Indiana, and cornerback John Nestor from Marist High School in Chicago, Ill.

While Hall is listed as an athlete by 247Sports, Rivals lists Hall as a safety. Penciling in where Hall will fit in with the Hawkeyes is interesting to think about.

Last season with Harlan Community High School, Hall carried 94 times for 777 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 755 receiving yards and had seven receiving touchdowns. He also totaled 29.5 tackles and three interceptions, so he has the skillset to slide in as an offensive skill player or in the Hawkeyes’ defensive backfield.

Iowa has shown that it’s not afraid to move players from one side of the football to the other if the coaching staff feels it could help a player earn more snaps.

The important news for the Hawkeyes is that Iowa now has the ninth piece to its 2023 class and Hall is a talented puzzle piece to add to the fold. According to 247Sports, Iowa currently owns the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle. Rivals rates the Hawkeyes’ class No. 20 nationally and the No. 26 class according to On3.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 cornerback Bo Mascoe from Florida

Bo Mascoe, a three-star Florida cornerback according to 247Sports and On3, picked up an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa is looking for more in its defensive backfield after landing its second commit from a secondary player in Zach Lutmer. Lutmer joins defensive back John Nestor as a pair of 2023 secondary prospects that have committed to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa is hoping that cornerback Bo Mascoe can join that group before long. The 5-foot-10, 165 pound corner from Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla., picked up an offer from the Hawkeye coaching staff.

According to 247Sports, Mascoe is a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 95 cornerback and the 134th-ranked player from Florida in the 2023 class. On3 rates Mascoe as a three-star talent as well. In the On3 consensus rankings, Mascoe is ranked as the country’s No. 968 player overall, the No. 91 cornerback and the No. 141 player from the Sunshine State.

Iowa joins Rutgers as the second Power Five school to extend an offer to Mascoe. The Florida product also has offers from Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Western Kentucky and has seen interest from Miami (Ohio).

According to MaxPreps, Mascoe finished his junior season at Osceola High School with 41 tackles, 11 passes defensed, seven interceptions and a fumble recovery. He also worked as a kick returner for Osceola High School. Between interception and kick returns, Mascoe had four touchdowns during the 2021 season.

Iowa currently has the nation’s No. 15 class according to 247Sports and ESPN, the No. 18 class according to Rivals and the No. 24 class according to On3.

Here’s a look at Mascoe’s junior season Hudl highlights at Osceola High School.