Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - ALERT: Four Uncommitted Recruits Visit Iowa City | Can Ferentz SALVAGE the Recruiting Class?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Iowa's big football recruiting weekend isn't very big We'll tell you about the four uncommitted prospects making their way to Iowa City and Hawkeyes chances of nabbing some stars You are locked on Hawkeyes your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes Part of the locked on Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon and this is the Well, Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio here in the state of Iowa.

Starting point is 00:00:39 You can find me currently on the Iowa Sports Radio Network across the state, including stations in Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and the Quad Cities each weekday from noon to two, talking the world of sports. Today's episode of Locked On Hawkeyes is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. We are going to take a look at some honors, preseason honors coming the way of Iowa football players. And if these hit the way that Phil Steele projects, Iowa football is going to have a very successful year. We'll talk with Tom Kaker. He was in attendance for the open practice yesterday for the media

Starting point is 00:01:17 members in Iowa city. We'll get his report of what he saw with coach McCollum squad over in Iowa city. That's coming up for you here momentarily, but we opened up today's conversation with a look at the big football recruiting weekend happening for the Iowa football program. And in past years, this was the weekend. If you were somebody that followed recruiting, that was as big as any other. This was the time that Iowa would bring in a number of uncommitted prospects. This would be the time that they put their best foot forward and with it, hoping to capitalize.

Starting point is 00:01:48 And we saw times five, eight, 10 commits come out of the weekend with this visit. Well, there's not going to be five, eight or 10 or anything else this weekend. It's going to be less because only four uncommitted players are scheduled to be coming in this weekend for their official visit. And you might be wondering, well, why, what has changed? Well, have you been paying attention to college athletics? You know, a whole lot has changed. And with it, the recruiting calendar is changing for a lot of these prospects.

Starting point is 00:02:15 You know, for years and years, you would have a handful of guys that would commit the senior year, excuse me, the summer before their senior year. And then it would trickle throughout the course of the football season. Well, that's accelerated over the last eight to 10 years, and it's become more the norm that a majority of the prospects make their commitment before their senior year even begins.

Starting point is 00:02:35 Now we're in a new era, and with the NIL, with the House case settlement coming, what's going to be changing, what's gonna be happening, we're seeing more and more of these prospects that are making commitments and doing it even earlier. We've seen a lot of these guys also be making their visits in early June, even late May, and with it, make commitments shortly after. It is leaving Iowa and a number of the prospects that they were hopeful

Starting point is 00:02:57 to be visiting this weekend on the outside looking in. Now, another funny thing is, remember when Kirk Ference was one of the few coaches that said, once you make a commitment, we don't want you taking other visits. You know, Benjamin, that whole curluffle, how that went down. That was a big conversation piece at one point ended up in Arizona State because he was looking around. And I didn't like that. We've seen that plenty of times before. In fact, we talked about it with Cash Herrera. It's kind of become the industry standard. It's something that coaches across the country are doing and they're doing it because after a guy makes a commitment, taking a visit in the grand scheme of things a lot of times isn't that big of a deal. It's a chance for a 17, 18 year old guy to go out there and just experience a different campus and a different campus life and really have a good time. However, now today with these NIL, with the collectives, the ability for them to go out and show exactly

Starting point is 00:03:48 what it is more and more coaches don't want those guys taking those visits anymore. And because of that, these committed prospects over these last couple of weeks have dried up the pool of guys that I was really looking for. So four guys are scheduled. This is according to Hawkeye Report Blair Sanderson doing it together with Tom Cakert and their report this weekend. So the four players that are coming this weekend, we'll tell you a little bit about each of them, starting with probably the one that is the longest shot, and that is CJ Hester. So CJ Hester is a four-star cornerback.

Starting point is 00:04:21 Intriguing? Yes. Phil Parker with a four-star cornerback. That Phil Parker with the four-star cornerback that gets you excited he's from Florida he also has this amongst his finals top six Syracuse is actually recruiting well Auburn hey Georgia yikes Florida and Miami and then the sixth team in his list is Iowa. He's taken official visits to Auburn, to Florida, to Syracuse, and to Georgia. This will be his last official visit. This would be something that would completely change the equation that we're talking about with this recruiting class. There's been disappointments and defensive line has not certainly come to fruition. The offensive line recruiting has been excellent, but hasn't happened up front on the other side of the football.

Starting point is 00:05:09 If you get a guy though like CJ Hester to commit over those schools from Florida, four star cornerback playing for Phil Parker, oh boy, that would be a completely big change to what we're talking about here. Another top 100 player nationally is Julian Manson. That was dad Jason Manson, quarterback at Iowa, played a little wide receiver from Connecticut. He is still with the football program. He's a director of player development. A lot of people believe it's a foregone conclusion.

Starting point is 00:05:38 Obviously living in Iowa City, growing up around the program, he knows everything that there is. He was scheduled to take a visit to Minnesota He canceled that one has taken a visit to K state But normally when you're talking about a top 100 guy his offer list would be immense. It would be ridiculous Not the case here. I think a reason for that though again The most people believe he's going to end up in Iowa City really versatile athlete big six four two twenty five

Starting point is 00:06:04 Not built like his dad by any means He is one though another one that definitely a ratcheted up this recruiting class and what they have in Iowa the heavy favorite to get the services of Manson an intriguing Linebacker prospect from Sioux City is case and Thomas Sioux City healing kid Saw some film on him talk to a few people I know up in the Sioux City area of nothing but great things to say. Iowa state, Iowa, Nebraska, maybe amongst his finalists.

Starting point is 00:06:33 He took also a visit to Arizona back a few weeks back and we'll see if the Wildcats, how heavily they're involved or if it is going to be close to home for him, guy that can really move. I like his athleticism guy that has a nose for the football good outside linebacker prospect there in case and Jones and then the final one Depending on who you talk to could be a long shot I will maybe has a better shot than other people believe from Omaha North. It is Darian Jones So Darian Jones his older brother is already on the Nebraska program

Starting point is 00:07:02 He's on the Nebraska football team, coupled with an Omaha kid, a Nebraska offer. But his older brother Dallas, who people that follow recruiting might know a little bit, he's been around and I got to know Dallas a little bit with some different things that we've done in the past. He's an Iowa guy. And so this will be interesting. I think Nebraska is a pretty overwhelming favorite for his services, but I always got a shot here and

Starting point is 00:07:29 that will be the fourth also coming in with a visit this weekend. It will be a bunch of the committed guys that'll be coming in this weekend. Now if I would go is over four or even one for three, they get Manson and miss on the other three. You do wonder with the way that things kind of dried up. If it's time for Iowa to reevaluate the way that they put together their summer recruiting calendar, you don't want to completely blow things up because one season doesn't go your way, but it's something I think at the back of their minds, we'll see how this weekend goes. And if it goes swimmingly and they get three out of four, we're having

Starting point is 00:08:01 a completely different conversation about that also. So that's what we have coming up this weekend on the recruiting front. In fact, we're gonna talk a little bit more, dive a little bit deeper into that with Tom Kaikov, but really excited to talk to Tom about what he saw at Iowa basketball. The open practice yesterday, he's got some clips up on his website at Hawkeye Report, a few things out there on social media, but we'll be able to dive a little bit deeper into what he saw firsthand Ben McCollum squad practicing what it looks like what this team is going to be in 2025 26 we will talk about that Tom Caker to deep dive into Iowa basketball

Starting point is 00:08:36 And what he saw at the open practice when we come back on the lockdown Hawkeyes podcast Locked on Hawkeyes podcast Today's episode of Locked on Hawkeyes is brought to you by fan duel MLB season heating up Every game brings clutch hits standout pitching and unforgettable moments from walk-off homers to no hitters in the making There's no shortage of drama on the diamond and no better time to get in on the action They don't makes it easy to stay in the game before tip-off and live. Player props, performance trends, they got same game parlays, all kinds of different ways for fans to get involved. How about that $200 bonus bet? All you have to do is hit that first $5 bet. Love that part about it and put together a bunch of props together and a same game parlay

Starting point is 00:09:23 you can hit big. If you come home a winner new to Fandool, it's a perfect time to sign up, head to Fandool.com and place your first $5 bet. If it wins, you'll get $200 in bonus bets. Make every moment more with Fandool official sports betting partner of the NFL. Tom cankert, Hawkeye report.com joins us. He had a basketball avail. He had a football avail and we'll get to those, but I want to talk about basketball coach's ability to hope Ben McCullough. My God, Tom, that was unbelievable. Watching this, I guess it just,

Starting point is 00:10:01 it just came out of nowhere, right? I mean, here's a 45 year old guy and he's a basketball coach. We knew him at Drake and obviously now he's got the job, his dream job. Um, but watching him on the floor with Cooper de Jean and then playing, you know, a pickup game per se, this dude can flat out ball for a guy, 45 years of age. I was impressed. Tom. I had it stunned me.

Starting point is 00:10:24 I, I had talked to like, um, you know, I've been doing some podcasts with some of the assistants and they had told me that, yeah, Ben can still hoop. And I'm like, well, okay, okay, I get it. Yeah, you could say that, you know, because he's your boss. And then he goes out there and you know, he poked a little poke away with the gene and you know trying to shake and bake him a little bit. He's got some handles. I mean yeah but we got to remember he's still in his mid 40s so I guess you know LeBron James is still hooping. I can't I can't I can't Ben McCollum. I am still also my mid 40s and I can tell you I cannot hoop like that anymore. That is for sure. You got a half hour look at the team today.

Starting point is 00:11:09 Practice, I saw one of your tweets mentioning the intensity that you saw there. I'm not sure how much practice time you got to see under Fray McCaffrey's regime, but tell us the differences, what you saw and what popped out in your half hour look here at the hoop team. A lot of focus on defense. Wow. How about that? There is, this is the regime focuses on communication, talking a lot. And that's even, they're even talking about like in the weight room where it's loud in the weight room where they're talking and communicating and and encouraging each other all the time and then you see that translating

Starting point is 00:11:51 over onto the court. I mean they're doing like an hour intense weight room work and the coaches are in there encouraging them every day and that's before they go to the practice. So they are fitness and communication and kind of developing a bond with each other that's really positive. And it shows on the court. It's really interesting. Of the Drake newcomers, I'm not sure if you had an opportunity to see any of them in person last year. Just your thoughts on, you know, like a Maniwue or a Banks or a Howard obviously starts. Who am I missing? I'm sure there's a couple.

Starting point is 00:12:31 I see the rosters here. Yeah. Banks. Yeah. Just who caught your eye? Yeah. Sturz just catches your eye. He's just always under control.

Starting point is 00:12:42 It's like everything around him is moving and he's just he's gonna be at his own pace and You know It was interesting today by the way Housing hurt the transfer from case date. He's got a minor injury. Nothing serious, but he just didn't practice today He's a senior, right? Yeah, and then but he just didn't practice today. And he's a senior, correct? Yeah. And then, Fulgures, the big kid from Spain,

Starting point is 00:13:08 is already back in Spain. So he's doing U-20, and he's doing national team stuff, and he'll be back here in August. So he did get like two weeks before everybody else came to Iowa City, and then he got two weeks with the team. So he did get some time with the team, but now he's over in Spain for the rest of the summer with doing national team stuff. So, um, like Coles looked pretty good to me.

Starting point is 00:13:36 Okay. Uh, the backup point guard, I'll tell you, um, uh, uh, McCombs son, Peyton is not a bad player. He's a little smaller side, but, um, but I, I was impressed with him. Um, the young kid Sage has got a good look to him. I don't know how much he's going to help him, but, um, I think he's, he, you know, he's struggling on shooting the ball a little bit today at times, but boy, he's got, um, some nice Athleticism to him and some potential there. I think So as it pertains to the roster set still sniffing around

Starting point is 00:14:10 Where would you kind of put the temperature here as we sit in the middle of June? You know, we really didn't hear anything about that today So I would say it's I think they're still open for business But you know, it's getting late You know, you can you know bring somebody in but the pickings are slim and it's getting light So I I'm not sure how much they're they're gonna look around at this point I'll tell you the the big kid from Valley looks pretty good today, too. He moves really well For his size and they're going to just improve his athleticism over

Starting point is 00:14:48 time. I'm going to be really intrigued to see how they can develop him, but he's got a nice little touch, nice game and obviously impressive size. So it's hard for me because I know the family. I've known Trev since he was younger. So, and I've called, I don't know how many of his games now, certainly over the last three years in those state championship teams.

Starting point is 00:15:11 But when you look at, do you think he's at a spot he can give them a realistic 10, 12 minutes a game at the center position this year? I think, I think he's probably gonna have to, and I think they want him to. You can tell how interested they are in him by the way they're coaching him and the encouragement that they give him after plays and you could just tell that they are trying to bring that kid along to be able to contribute this season.

Starting point is 00:15:41 So I think he's going to be out there now. How he plays is going to depend on everything. And we know that, you know, he's probably a guy that, uh, uh, McCollum, I should say is a guy that's probably only going to play eight at the most. You know, he's just not a, he's not a big, let's go deep to the bench fellas and let's play 11, you know, if we can. But, um, I I I think he's I Think Trev's certainly in that mix

Starting point is 00:16:11 Cooper conscious he practicing yet Yeah. Yeah, he was out there. And how did he look? Yeah, he looks good. He's shooting feel they talked to him a little bit. He said he feels great. No problems No issues with the lungs. So Yeah, I I thought he looked like he's really fitting at that. It's funny because you know, I just joked with him like yeah If it's second straight year, you've got a entirely new team to get to know and that's pretty much true For him and you know, even though he's the quote-unquote returning guy. It's everybody around him is new So they've been bringing in some prospects for the class of 2026, local kids here from Central Iowa also that have been involved. What can you tell us as it looks to the future? Roster, we'll

Starting point is 00:16:55 see if another guy pops up for this year, but what has been the early returns for the classes of 26 and 27 with McCollum and company? Yeah, they just had Laina Davis, kid from Waukee Northwest. And yesterday, obviously Colin Rice, the other Waukee Northwest kid is the guy with the offer. Laina Davis hasn't gotten an offer yet. I talked to him last night after he had made it unofficial here with his folks.

Starting point is 00:17:22 And they're gonna watch him this weekend down in Kansas City at an event, and we'll see if he gets an offer. But I think the reception's been pretty well so far, but it's going to be a process for them to get to know all these kids and recruit them. You know, some of these kids that they recruited at Drake, I talked to, you know, like, uh, uh, Ethan Brown that I talked to the other night from Rolla, Missouri, you know, he was getting recruited by him at Drake. Now it's a different thing and they want to see a few different things for him, from

Starting point is 00:17:56 him to be able to get an offer at Iowa. So that's not an automatic where, uh, where they're doing things that way. So it's, I'm gonna be interested to see what happens with Rice because he is, he's really getting a lot of attention. Illinois is all over him right now trying to get him to visit. He visited Nebraska this week. Michigan State might offer him and try to get him to visit. So he's really blown up in the last last month or so. Tom, football early in the week, I think it was, what's today? So Wednesday, yesterday you had an opportunity. Who did you speak to and know over a couple of your takeaways?

Starting point is 00:18:39 Yeah, we're really not allowed to speak much, a bunch about that because it's a sort of like an off the record visit with media academy so Um, but it was it was interesting. It was fun. It was you know, kind of um, you know just How phil parker operates on a day-to-day basis is interesting how kim lester? operates and runs the offense and how um How just deep that thing goes is really interesting. So I thought that was the big thing, getting to talk to the coordinators a little bit and

Starting point is 00:19:17 getting to ask questions with some of the assistants. I thought it was really informative and it's going to help all of us on the beat, hopefully do our jobs a little bit better this year. Had you had that opportunity been presented to you guys in the past to do it that way, kind of an off the record day? Yeah, we'd done it once in 2019, I think. We had done like a little media academy and talking to Kyle Barnes about some of the stuff that's going on in the world of

Starting point is 00:19:45 recruiting is interesting too. It's so funny that the NCAA is in the Big Ten and everybody's like, yeah, we're all in this together and everybody's going to sign in blood oath that we're not going to sue and the states are going to calm down with everything. And now I see today, Michigan's file and all kinds of stuff. So it's like, it's like, yeah, he's, it, it wasn't this, this, uh, this peace treaty was never going to happen. I don't think it was. It's unrealistic.

Starting point is 00:20:21 It seems like it, Tom, the top of the fold news of the week, Cash Herrera decommitting from the Hawkeye program. Fill us in a little bit on the details. No, he was maybe starting to sniff around some bigger offers also, maybe starting to come his way. And what's next to the QB spot for the Hawkeyes? Yeah, it just felt like for a while that this thing was gonna head to a divorce

Starting point is 00:20:44 because he seemed a little bit perturbed by Iowa looking around at the second quarterback and kind of populating that, that quarterback room. And so I think he decided to start looking around. I won't be surprised if he ends up at Indiana at this point, depending on what happens with Indiana's quarterback situation, they've got a kid they're involved with who may end up at Ohio State. So it's just it's all dominoes and everything. And I was just gonna I think, you know, they're gonna look at their options. Mason Atkins was a kid that they looked at who committed to Ball State. And maybe they get re-involved with him or there's

Starting point is 00:21:26 somebody else that emerges. I know this, I think they're hoping that they can get off the hamster wheel of having to go on the portal to find a starter every year. I think they just want to get out of that business. It's just it's not healthy for the entire room because then everybody else in the room gets pissed off. So it's like, well, you know, we could, you gotta develop Hank Brown or, you know, Jimmy Sullivan or whoever it is. Final thing for me, Tom, and it's a big recruiting weekend,

Starting point is 00:21:56 not what it once was, but this is the weekend, bringing the guys that are committed and the guys that they hope. Who are some names that we should keep an eye on coming up this weekend that have not committed to the Hawkeyes that will be visiting. Boy, the big name CJ Hester is one of the guys they want to get some defensive backs. So I think that's probably one of the top guys for me is that and get a guy out of Florida. Um,

Starting point is 00:22:25 and also, um, Jason Manson son, uh, is going to be visiting, uh, Julian and he's probably the highest ranked kid in the class and he's a phenomenal athlete. I don't know if you guys, cause we've got to see him. I would say West, I, you train, you probably seen him. He's just, he's a freak. I mean, he just did. He's a lot's a freak. He's not bigger than dad Yeah, he's bigger than dad. He's just just covers a lot of ground he could play offense to but play he'd be a frightening linebacker and Yeah, he's you know, I think they're hoping to get him

Starting point is 00:23:00 I'm sure he will be paired up with somebody like Mason Woods for the weekend to him. I'm sure he will be paired up with somebody like Mason Woods for the weekend, who I suppose since they're really close and they're teammates at Iowa City West. Tom Caker at HawkeyeReport.com. Tom, thanks for being flexible this week. We will run you down next Friday on your normal day. Thank you. Appreciate it, Tom Caker. Okay. Yeah, good to talk to you. Tom Caker at HawkeyeReport.com. Great insight as always from Tom. Appreciate his time and a really fun look at Iowa basketball. And I keep saying, I know maybe I have a clouded view driving Yurok. I think he's going to be a factor. I'm not saying first team, all big 10 or even, you know, all freshmen team,

Starting point is 00:23:38 but he's going to play some minutes this year and he's going to be a piece for this Iowa basketball team. When we come back, Iowa football has landed some preseason honors. And if Iowa football lands with these honors, we're going to have a fun fall. Try kind of back with you one final time on the lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us and making lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. As we wrap things up, a shout out to you every dayers. Love each and every one of you out there.

Starting point is 00:24:10 Make sure you hit and subscribe if you're watching this on YouTube. Five star review on the podcast side, helping us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. So Phil Steele, it is the Bible if you're a college football fan and a magazine that has been in long production. He's been very good at what he does for a long time and I know it's a different era. Transfer portal has made it more difficult.

Starting point is 00:24:30 Normally we'd have our hands on the magazine by this time and that's now always the case, but many of his honors are being released including eight Hawkeyes that were honored by Phil Steele in his magazine that will be coming up here pretty soon and I am excited to get my hands on it. So This is the direction I go He's got four players second team all-american that second team all-big-ten second team all-american and if I would has four second team all-americans I Was gonna win double-digit games. I was gonna be in the college football playoff because those kind of accolades go hand-in-hand with a very successful season. If I would go seven and five this year they're not gonna have four second team All-Americans.

Starting point is 00:25:12 That's not the way it works. You have to have a special season. Jennings-Dunker. Get the big man back healthy, right tackle, maybe the best right tackle in college football. Iowa's got him. Defensive tackle Aaron Graves. And you know, look at it, Aaron Graves numbers from a year ago. I think maybe I just forgot how productive he was. I think we've been wanting more out of Aaron Graves and it's probably unfair as he's built himself up from a player football to what he is, even with the huge accolades that he had coming out of high school.

Starting point is 00:25:42 But last year, eight tackles for loss, six sacks, three force fumbles, three pass breakups, two quarterback pressures, three force fumbles led the big 10. Yes, continue that and take another step. Cain Weijon, we know his speed on the outside, second team All-American, as a returner. That happens, look out.

Starting point is 00:26:02 Also, Logan Jones, third team all-american and Reese Dakin the putter for team all-american. Are you talking about five all-americans? Things are cooking couple guys that were honored also in the big ten preseason awards from Phil Steele both Stevens second team at the guard position drew Stevens the kicker and a third team selection for Ethan Hurrican Drew Stevens, the kicker, and a third team selection for Ethan Hurriquet. The pieces are there. I'm not sure if the depth is there, and I know we still have question marks about this team defensively.

Starting point is 00:26:33 Through these summer months, we'll continue to tackle these subjects. We will continue talking about everything that is going on with this team. I still have that feeling though, this team is going to surprise. That seven and a half number win total at Bandool I like the over. Maybe I'm drinking the Kool-Aid and I've been fallen victim to that plenty of times before. I didn't think this was gonna be the summer conversations we were gonna have a half year ago yet here we are. Have a great weekend and thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Enjoy the longest day of the year and we will be back with you on Monday.

Starting point is 00:27:08 It is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Your team every day, that's what we do here. Your team each and every day, we got you covered on all fronts. The portal talking, all things recruiting, and of course the transfer portal. Locked On Big Ten with Craig doing great work over there. Your favorite Major League Baseball team, NFL team, NBA, NHL, you name it, we have it all here at Locked On. Thanks for being with us and making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We'll talk to you again on Monday. Until then, go Hawks!

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - ALERT: Four Uncommitted Recruits Visit Iowa City | Can Ferentz SALVAGE the Recruiting Class?

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.