Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Big Ten TV Deal, David Eickholt talks Hawkeye football camp and basketball recruiting

Episode Date: August 10, 2022

Trent Condon looks at the latest as it pertains to the Big Ten negotiating a new television deal. With ESPN out, what does that mean for the conference as a whole and how impactful will that be? The Big Ten will have games on 3 over the air networks now with Fox at 11 am CT, CBS at 2:30 & NBC with a night game.Then Trent is joined by David Eickholt from 247 Sports, Hawkeye Insider. They talk about some rumblings coming out of August Camp, talk more about the quarterback spot and then get into some basketball recruiting for Iowa Hoops.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at Linkedin.com/lockedoncollege Terms and conditions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Big Ten TV deal looks to be locked into place. And we talk Hawkeye football with David Eicholdt from Hawkeye Insider. All coming up next on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. You are Locked On Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day. Welcome back once again to the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.

I'm Trent Condon. Thanks for making Lockdown your first listen each and every day. We're free and available wherever you find podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube and and you can look at my grill, as many of you out there are doing right now. And you can see our guests, and we've got a big one coming your way tomorrow. Luka Garza, the All-American, is going to stop by. We'll talk with Luka about what's going on in his world.

That's coming your way tomorrow. But today, David Eichel is going to be our guest. A lot of Iowa football to talk about. But before we welcome David in, I do want to talk a little bit about what's happening in the biggest news, certainly in the Big Ten right now, and that is what's happening with the media rights deal. Over a billion dollars a year coming in. If you just add up the rights fees that are going to be there with Fox, coupled with the Big Ten network, of course, owned by the excuse me, the same group. You see the amount of money coming in there.

Then the new deals that are coming for both CBS and NBC. Now, this is something that has been certainly interesting throughout the years. We got something playing there in the background. As we look back about it, you know, CBS, what we've seen from CBS, they have been locked in now for the last 10, 15 years with that SEC deal. And an SEC deal that the number one game each and every week has been going to them. So you get Georgia against Florida in the largest outdoor cocktail party. You get that Alabama-Tennessee game.

You get the SEC championship. The number one game has gone to the SEC on CBS, and it has become something that has been certainly great for both of those institutions. Now that's gone away as the SEC is moving and going with all of their property now to ESPN. Also, ABC is a part of that, but they're going all in with ESPN, and ESPN is going all in with them.

One thing that I do continue to ponder, and a question that I know a lot of people have about this, is the decision to walk away from ESPN. In today's environment, how important is it to still be a part of ESPN and be under their umbrella? A lot of people like to point to what we saw when the NHL went away from ESPN. It may be more than anything that was ESPN making the decision they weren't going to spend the money for the rights to the NHL and how it became ignored, completely ignored in many realms on ESPN.

There was a time for some of you youngsters out there, maybe you won't believe that, or now you'll believe it again after what happened this season when the rights went back to ESPN, but you would flip on ESPN and during the winter, you would see a six, seven, eight minute block of highlights of hockey. And that it just went away. So the concern is that they would do something similar to the big 10.

Now that they do not have that relationship with that brand and those games are not on their network, that they're going to do the same kind of thing. Well, we're talking about two completely different realms. First of all, you're talking college football and after the NFL college football is the second most viewed sport in America.

It is the second most important property. More than baseball and MLB, more than the NBA, more than the NHL, more than golf. After the NFL, it is college football. And it's a huge brand on top of it. So we're not talking about a niche sport like the NHL. We're not talking about the Sun Belt. It's not Conference USA. It's not the Summit League.

This is the Big Ten. You can't completely go away if you're ESPN. Now, will there be cries and will there be shouts when they're talking about the SEC in a positive light that the Big Ten's not getting the same kind of viewing and that's going to sway committee members? It's going to be out there, but it's not reality. I always like to live in reality,

and the reality is that this is not going to be nearly as impactful as some people want you to believe that ESPN is not going to be a part of it. What it is a part of now in this world of cable cutting, as you see more and more young people that have never had cable, have never had satellite, that don't know what you're talking about when you're talking about flipping on your TV and just flipping through channels. They don't know what flipping channels is. This is the new age. This is a new era. What the Big Ten has done with this deal. You get the big noon kickoff. That'll be the 11 a.m. game for us here in the Central Time Zone. 2.30. Now it'll no longer be CBS and it will no longer be the SEC. It will be the Big Ten on CBS. And as a child of the 80s, I remember those games. You watch Iowa-Michigan in 1985, you don't watch it on ABC. It wasn't on ESPN.

It was on CBS. That was a CBS game. And for a time, some of the biggest Big Ten games were on CBS. That's coming back. And then the nightcap. You finish up on CBS. That's coming back. And then the nightcap. You finish up on NBC. And marrying Sunday night football now with Saturday night football in the Big Ten brand. My question continues to be, what is that going to look like as it pertains to what

games are going to be there, right? What games are we going to see? Is it an Illinois-Indiana game? That could be a third choice some week. That's going to be a tough sell. Indiana game, that could be a third choice some week. That's going to be a tough sell. With the additions of USC and UCLA, though, there is going to be even more better content.

So let's just take a random week. In fact, let's do that right now. Let's take this exercise, and we're going to take a random week of Big Ten football coming up this season, and we're going to look and see what it's going to look like. We're going to see if we can find what the slate would look like. I'm just going to randomly jump here and let's see. Let's find one where we got a bunch of games. All right, here we go. First weekend in November.

November 5th. This is what is on tap right now. All these games are currently TBD. So we're going to just play with this on the fly. That's the day that Iowa makes their way to Purdue. And the hated Boilermakers, the old protected rival, well, they've had Iowa's number, unfortunately, here recently. Let's see if we can change that.

Iowa-Purdue, that's a game. Ohio State goes to Northwestern. Well, we know networks always want the Buckeyes. Michigan goes to Rutgers. Since Michigan is on the road, it's also Rutgers. Penn State and Indiana, not a whole lot there. Maryland, Wisconsin. Minnesota and Nebraska.

All right, Minnesota and Nebraska, at least a competitive game. And finally, Michigan State, Illinois. So all 14 teams are in. And let's throw in, just for argument's sake, that this is the week that USC is playing UCLA. So that's an easy one, right? You can't put it at 11 a.m. So Fox is going to pass on that. So you put it in one of those two other windows. Let's make that the night game. That's the NBC game on that night, November 5th,

USC, UCLA. Then the number one pick goes to Fox. They got the 11 a.m. game. It's a pretty light slate. Let's say they throw a bone. They're going to go Minnesota, Nebraska. That's going to be the choice there. And then your 2.30 window. This is the choice that CBS will have. Not the shiniest week, but do you take Ohio State, Northwestern? Do you go Michigan Rutgers and go with one of those big brands, Penn State, Indiana? All road

games for those three, there's going to be opportunities. It's not going to be huge. It's not going to be ridiculous by any means. It's not going to be maybe exactly what we've seen in the past. I get that, but it's going to be a good thing. And ultimately, this is going to be a good thing for the Big Ten and more than anything, financially, this is going to be a huge, huge step up. Now, what does that mean? Now, where is this money going to go? That's a question that is still going to be there. What that's going to look like overall, what is it going to to go? That's a question that is still going to be there. What that's going to look like overall.

What is it going to look like? And what does a place like the University of Iowa, what do they do? What do they do with? We talk about NILs. We talk about collectives and this new revenue stream that comes into the Big Ten. Does that make up for it? You know, the people that normally are donating $100, $1,000, $10,000 a year, and they decide, you know what, I'm going to go instead to the NIL space.

I'm going to go that direction. Real possibility this is going to make up for that in a big, big time way. Well, I mentioned David Eichold. He is going to come your way next. We're going to talk with David about some of the rumblings that he has going on right now in camp. David's done a really good job of continuing to build up what has happened inside the realm of Hawkeye athletics.

So he's going to join us. We will talk a little bit about that. But before we get to David Eichel, I do want to mention here just for a moment, our friends over at BetOnline. So I've talked a lot this week about my trek out to Vegas. Looking forward to getting out there once again. I love Las Vegas. I love sports betting.

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So a big thank you to them. Let's go right now to David Eichel, 24-7 Sports and HawkeyeInsider.com. David, good to see you. This is a first for us. We're normally just talking on radio, but a little bit different. How you doing? Hey, good, man. No doubt. Yeah, I was going to say, I think this is the first time we've ever had this sort of interaction. So, you know, groundbreaking stuff. That's what we're doing. Well, we're getting ready, of course, for football season. August camp is upon us and I jumped aboard with you guys at Hawkeye Insider.

I had to say yes to the deal. You guys have a great deal. In fact, you've extended it right now. So for our podcast listeners right now, people that maybe don't know much about Hawkeye Insider, maybe new to it, and also on the radio side, tell us a little bit more about what you guys have going on and the amount of content that you guys have there. I couldn't say no. Yeah.

It's another one, another ding to the wallet, but it's worth it because you guys are doing great work. I appreciate that Trenton. Yeah. We extend our sale a couple of days. We, we led the big 10 in sales,

which was a first for us during our process. But I think that speaks to the growth of, of Sean and I, and the sort of branding and marketing we've done and Iowa fans in general for, for trusting us to give them the information. But like you said, fall camp coming up, a lot of inside scoop going on. Basketball recruiting seems to be really, really at a critical point right now.

Obviously, they're hot in the trail after landing Price Sanford, after JP Estrella, TJ Power cutting his list of five. Sean's been crushing on the recruiting trail. And, you know, fall camp, like you said, with football season right around the corner it's summer so long but so short and this is really starting to feel like we're finally getting back in the swing of things and I think people are just super excited and I think that also speaks to uh Iowa selling out every home game you know a month before the season which is kind of crazy you. Think about just considering the way the last two games went

and people's kind of fed up with the offense and everything. But it's really exciting to see everybody so just stoked to get back to Iowa football and football season in general. You know, it's this weird dichotomy between the two sides. And that's where I am right now. I am so excited to see this defense. I think there is still another step forward they can take this year after that elite performance. But David, you and I,

we've talked on the radio now for quite a while. I think you know where I am with Spencer Petras. And I hate to be negative. I'm not a negative person in general. I'm a very optimistic person. Not so much as a sports fan. That's kind of my difference here. But I continue to just

it's so difficult to wrap my mind around how this is going to be better. Offensive line is going to be better. You would anticipate they take a step forward. The development of Arlen Bruce and Keegan Johnson and two tight ends that you're really excited about. A running game that's going to be better. You're laying it out in that fashion, but when it comes back to the quarterback in Spencer Petras, is it just letting it fly? Do you see that this is a guy that has, I don't know, a mental block that he needs to get past?

You know, I haven't really been able to decide if it's a mental block or not because, like you said, if you talk to Spencer Petras, that dude is so football smart. He knows the offense like the back of his hand. And I think it got to a point last year where, remember, he was injured for probably the last half of the year. And I think combined got to a point last year where, remember, he was injured for probably last half the year. And I think combined with that, combined with how the offensive line struggled, combined with no running game, there was a lot of pressure on his shoulders, without a doubt.

So I think he began to start seeing phantoms. I think Petras' arm talent has never really been a question to me. It's been, can he stay with his mechanics? And can he not get flustered when he doesn't need to be flustered there were times last year where he acted like he was under pressure and he was never really under pressure but again i think that was just due to the fact that iowa for as dynamic as tyler goodson was trent iowa's running game was not built for him he was exciting in the open field but you need that between the tackle guy and you can afford a tyler goodson when you have

a makai sergeant to sort of counterbalance that because makai you need that between the tackle guy. And you can afford a Tyler Goodson when you have a Makai Sargent to sort of counterbalance that because Makai was so reliable between the tackles to get you four to six yards a carry. But he really wouldn't be that explosive back. So when it's all Tyler Goodson, teams knew what they were going to do. And I think that was the predictability has been part of it. I think the thing that I think a lot of people really liked about Alex Padilla when he emerged as a starter, he was you know frustrating at times but I think he led FBS in quarterbacks among

passes that were dropped by their teammates because he has a tight spiral but the other part of it too which people like he let it fly downfield he trusted his receivers like Keegan Johnson to go make a play would always be a? No, but it was just the fact that they were tired of these check down passes, these seven-yard out routes, these check downs, which aren't bad in real time. But when you have two four-star receivers, when you have a Charlie Jones at the time, when you have a Nico Regani, you've got to put the ball down the field

because defenses are just going to pick up on that. So I think it deals with just as much as it does Brian, as with Spencer, because like you said, if you go up and down the sort of roster where I was at right now, assuming everybody's healthy, they're really no more excuses. They got up, they got play call better and Spencer Petras and company need to execute the fact that Spencer Petras had one passing touchdown in the last eight games and Iowa won 10 games. It's unbelievable. It's, it will never happen again ever. Yeah. One thing that I've talked about a lot is I'm a little concerned. Iowa goes three and out first possession, South Dakota state marches right down the field at seven

nothing, another three and out or an interception. I've been in Kinnick stadium at ugly moments. I was there for the Kyle McCann game back in 2001 and Brad Banks came in in against Michigan, how good he looked, and the boo birds that came out. I think it's going to be even more negative than that if they get off to a slow start, or they're down in the fourth quarter against Iowa State in week two, something like that. I don't feel like I'm alone. I don't think you're alone on the media side of things where these questions are there, and this thing can get ugly in a hurry. My question for you, David, is if it gets to that point,

how quick is the hook going to be? I mean, how much leash does Spencer Petrus have? We know he's the guy, right? He's, he's the guy that Brian and Kirk are going to go with, but how much rope does he have?

I think that's the million dollar question. Sean and I have talked about this on our podcast. I've talked about with people. I give it two games because i think one this is without a doubt the most critical year of brian ference's coaching career because if there's not a step forward i don't care how many games iowa wins the pressure to relieve him or at least to move him to another role is gonna be an all-time high now kirk kirk's job security is golden right i mean let's let's just be honest and no i'm not saying iowa should try to fire kirk or anything i'm not i'm not saying that whatsoever

but there's gonna be a lot of pressure on him to make a move regarding brian if nobody else gets step in and fire him if spencer petras does not come out and drop at least 35 points on south dakota state i think a lot of people are going to freak out. If Iowa goes another year where they only have one touchdown in the first half, they're going to freak out. If Iowa loses to Iowa State for the first time in, what, six, seven years, people are going to freak out. If Iowa goes one and one, if they lose to Iowa State and the offense looks mediocre, Alex Padilla has won games.

I think you have to bench Petras because, yes, you're under the lights in Kinnick Stadium the next week, but Nevada is going to be one of the worst teams in the FBS. So if you're going to make a quarterback change, you're going to want to make it against a team where there's not as much pressure. Yeah, the bright lights will be there, but again, it's Nevada. But the counter side of that is, is Iowa going to go with the mentality of, oh, maybe Spencer can get it back against Nevada under the bright lights against a bad defense. I think that's where the critical juncture is going to be.

But the fact that Padilla's already played in some games, I think that provides him a little bit of comfort. But like I said, it's going to be very interesting because if they wait another week, he struggles against Nevada, and you make the quarterback change when you go on the road at Rutgers. I don't like that formula. I don't like it. And a Rutgers team that's certainly improving with Shiano.

This is not the Rutgers team of your older brother. This is a program that's heading back the right way and looks like to compete in the Big Ten East is going to be an incredibly difficult climb, but at least they're competitive. This is not the joke program they were in the past. David Eichel joining us here, 24-7 Sports. HawkeyeInsider.com is where you can go and find more on David,

him along with Sean Bach doing a great job over there. All right, David, I want to get into some of the nuggets that you're hearing right now. It's difficult to get information. I had a little birdie tell me the other day, Gavin Williams is banged up. He's dealing with a hamstring injury, and I believe today is, in fact, when he was going in for his MRI,

we continue to look at the still pictures and say, where's Keegan Johnson. I mean, it's just, it's nuts. Can't they give you guys, you know, 20 minutes a day, something to, to at least cure some of the ills, but here's something again, this is all speculation, but this is something I heard during the winter about Keegan Johnson, about him dealing with something, maybe with COVID, a long COVID. Now, I think of Austin Fife, the basketball player at UNI, and watching just how difficult

it was. And you hear something like that. Again, these are just rumors. There's nothing substantial that I have heard. But then you don't see him in pictures, and you don't hear a whole lot about him during the offseason. He didn't practice in the spring. Iowa can't afford to lose anybody at wide receiver

and certainly not the guy that's by far their number one. Yeah, not the guy that's the number one, I think, potential-wise. Because as I've said, I think Keegan Johnson can be Iowa's first All-Big Ten wide receiver since Marvin McNutt back in 2011. I mean, that's over a decade where Iowa hasn't had a first, second, and a 13 wide receiver. Obviously, if you count Amir Smith-Marset, but he was a returner, right? So this is what I heard.

He talked about rumblings. Yes, Gavin Williams, you're correct. I've heard similar things. But Keegan, this is, I believe he's going to return soon. He was in a video. They had a video released the other day where there was a close-up of Keegan. He was in a jersey. And again, this is not confirmed.

This is just what I've heard from a couple people. The issue that's keeping him out right now is not related to what kept him out in winter and spring. Okay. And that is a good thing. That's a very, very good thing. So I anticipate Keegan Johnson is going to be back very soon. I think we'll get more definitive, something more definitive on that on Friday

when we get a big-time – sorry, Iowa media day. We'll be able to ask some questions. I'm sure we'll be able to talk to Keegan and maybe we'll get to the bottom of that as well. But yeah, like you said, I think Gavin Williams will be OK. I don't think it's going to be anything overly serious, but I'd also challenge people with this. If for some reason Gavin is out for an extended period of time, I've heard really good things about Jazzy on Patterson Devin Hilson and Caleb Johnson as far as guys like that running back room is very young right now but I think Liddell Betts is smiling right now because I think there's a lot of potential there I think Jazzy on Patterson could surprise a lot of people because obviously

as you and I have talked about on your radio show Caleb Johnson looks like a third year pro running back I mean that dude is is muscles on muscles on muscles. He is absolutely stacked, and I think he's perfect for Iowa's system. So it'll be interesting to see who's sort of nicked up and maybe some long-term guys, but I believe the only two long-term guys right now are Justin Britt and Jackson Ritter who will not play at all this season. So it's going to be very interesting how Iowa sort of adjusts.

And I also think Iowa's going to play three tight end sets. I think Steven Stellanos, 6'5", 264 pounds. I mean, that dude is an absolute boulder. He can catch the ball over the middle. And the other part of it, too, is how healthy is Brody Brett going to be? Because I've also heard that Brody's sort of been pretty limited as well throughout the early portion of fall camp. And that's another guy where I really think he can emerge as a big time red

zone target. And that's exactly what I would need this year. The need more guys in the red zone that can get done. David Eichel joining us at David. I want to jump from there over defensively. There's not questions. This defense is going to be great. It's going to be elite.

My question is this. We know the cash position. It looks like it's certainly trending right now that defense is going to be great. It's going to be elite. My question is this. We know the cash position. It looks like it's certainly trending right now that it's going to be Cooper Dajin, that he's going to get at least the first crack at that, and he's going to be that guy. With Justin Jacobs, not just an outside linebacker that can run. I mean, we're talking elite level. NBA scouts are absolutely enamored with him.

It's funny. Feels like NBA people maybe, or NFL people, excuse me, are more enamored with him right now than even Iowa fans are. He is so talented. He can run like the wind. How many snaps are there going to be for Cooper Dajin this year? How much cash do you anticipate Iowa's going to have? That's the big question. I mean, Phil Parker's guy just be, he won't do it in public, but you know, he's watching the film and looking at his roster saying, yes. He's just smiling his head off because, again, you have that luxury. Cooper DeGene, I have just heard, has been absolutely, quote unquote, killing it.

And another guy that I think is going to have a legitimate NFL decision that people are talking about, but maybe not for the NFL. I think Lucas Van Ness could have a legitimate decision to go to the NFL after this season. I have heard he has been, this is what one source told me, quote, in on every single tackle in regards to what he's been doing early on. I mean, this is a guy that I think would be a first or second team all-conference guy. They call him Hercules for a reason. Let's go back to your question. Look, I've said ever since Iowa got Justin Jacobs over Ohio State,

because remember, Ohio State wanted him bad. They host him. I believe that was the transition when Ryan Day was just coming into his own at Ohio State, and he ended up saying, no, I want to go to Iowa. Justin Jacobs is athletically and built-wise one of the most talented linebackers that has come through Iowa in recent years. I know how crazy that sounds when you look at Jack Campbell. I think he's a first-round linebacker, right?

If Justin Jacobs can improve more in coverage, I think that's what's going to get him to the NFL, and that's what's going to keep him on the field. I think he's an outstanding gap blitzer. I think he's a sound run stopper. I think he can get his hand on the ball. But if he can show that he can stay with a slot receiver, as well as a 6'4", 240-pound tight end coming over the middle,

if he shows that sort of versatility, that's why I think it's going to keep him on the field. Because another name that Iowa might be intrigued by, I mean, you can't keep Xavier Wampa off the field. I don't think you're going to be able to do that. He's just too talented. This is a guy who arrived at Iowa at 197 pounds. He's already about 215.

It's muscle. Runs like the wind. I mean, so do you play that, you know, 4-2-5 defense? Do you go to that 4-3? And if so, who do you kick out? I mean, these are all questions that 4-2-5 defense? Do you go to that 4-3? And if so, who do you kick out? I mean, these are all questions that Phil Parker's have to answer because you can't take Kayvon off the field. I don't think you're going to be able to take Cooper off the field.

Quinn Schulte's doing everything he can to hold down that opposite safety spot. But again, where do you fit Xavier in that? Because you're going to have to play Xavier at one point. So I'm happy I don't have to solve all those questions. I'm very intrigued to see how Phil Parker and Seth Wallace and all those guys do. Well, and I think we all believe that Phil will figure it out. That guy certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt that he's going to have this thing figured out and humming along at a really high level. David, one final thing you mentioned basketball recruiting going on right now. Football is obviously slowing down as we get closer and closer to the kickoff of the season.

Big commitment. No surprise with price Sam for making his commitment to the Hawkeyes. He'll join his older brother, a guy that I really like. I've called a bunch of both of their games, but a price here recently going back to last season, I see him as maybe a more well-rounded player and Peyton's a shooter. The price game that I certainly have seen at the high school level.

This is a guy that can do a lot, whole lot more to his game. Price is probably one of the more efficient, most efficient basketball players in the country. And now can, does that mean he can do everything that a lot of the top 25, top 50, you guys can't know,

but price knows what he's about. He continues to improve himself. His athleticism is getting better. And I'm very intrigued about how Fran used him. I think he fits in perfectly. And now I know people are saying Iowa, the family business, yeah, it's a funny joke, right? But the other side of it, too, is this is not a slam dunk for Iowa.

I mean, Texas was really getting after him. They didn't offer, but Texas really wanted him to come visit. As you said, you're a new subscriber, so you're going to know all this. Wisconsin was looking at him for a while. There were some very high major schools that just, they were talking kind of stringing along. Gonzaga showed interest. Virginia showed interest.

I mean, Price is a legitimate top 100 talent, and Iowa did a great job of, while they utilized Peyton in the connection, they individualized his recruitment, how he'd be used. And it was nothing about playing with, you know, a little bit about playing with his brother, but this is Price's recruitment. They respected it as such. And obviously landing Matt Gatins, I think, really helped Iowa in this recruitment as well, because Matt Gatins was the one who offered Price at Drake originally.

So, but yeah, I think it's a huge addition there. I think also Price Sanford is going to be critical in Iowa trying to land four star top target J.P. Estrella, who's down to his final three schools in Syracuse, Iowa, and Tennessee. He'll decide on September 2nd. I have a crystal ball in favor of Iowa right now, but it's truly a toss-up between them and Tennessee. I think Syracuse is out of the mix. I think it's Tennessee and Iowa, and that one's going to come out of the wire.

But I do know Price and J.P. bonded. And, yeah, the familiarity obviously helped with Price, but this is a guy who I think can come into Iowa next year. There won't be any immediate pressing need for him to play and contribute right away, but he's not going to get on quietly. I mean, like you said, you've called Price's games. He's a little bit opposite.

Peyton didn't really talk too much in high school. Price is about it. He does. And I love that part of his game too. Final thing, one other name on the recruiting front. You mentioned what they are going through right now with J.P. Estrella. Another initial guy, T.J. Power. Iowa was in great position.

I know there's family ties to T.J. Power in the Boston College program. His grandpa is basically one of the most important people inside that program. His mom went there. But now the Blue Bloods are involved. It's Duke. It's Duke, it's North Carolina, Boston College in Iowa. Kind of looked to be maybe the finalists here if we go back just a couple of months, but now you got the big boys involved. Do you give Iowa, I mean, there's five teams involved in his final five. Do they have better than a 20% chance?

I don't know, but I will tell you this. this is the way i would rank the contenders boston college oh you said a lot of ties there i think they're fifth i actually have virginia fourth on that i think virginia is on the outside but he really likes that pack line defense and that's as for me that's nauseating to hear because i'd rather watch paint dry and fields be painted like it's just it's horrible but respect to tomm respect to Tony Bennett and what the program he's built, obviously no shot there. I think Iowa has a second best chance of landing him. I think this is a recruitment that I, you need to get frame a Capri,

all the credit in the world. He has the longest relationship with Fran. He speaks glowingly about Fran. He is, he said even, you know, to me and to other people as recently as today, that he has the best and longest relationship of any coach with Fran McCaffrey. So I think Iowa's done a great job there. And the number one thing for him is culture. He loves Iowa's culture. He officially visited Iowa last October.

And he said he loves the way Fran instills confidence in his guys. And if there's one thing Fran knows how to do, it's give guys the ultimate green light. But you talk about a guy that gets you the sweet 16, TJ powers go get to a sweet 16. I think, I think he's in the like 50th by 24,

seven sports. I think he's near a five-star prospect on my own personal rankings. I think he's one of the more complete basketball players in the country. I think it's to be very critical. If Iowa gets a second official visit, because TJ might shut it down. He's talked about openly not going on any other visits and evaluating. But I do think Iowa is trying to make a push for him to come visit for the Iowa Iowa State weekend.

So I would say there's a Polo G concert, which I think he'd be into at the Extreme Arena. So if that happens, you know, I think you do that in the Iowa State combined. That's probably not a bad selling point. I think it's going to speak volumes if he comes on another official visit to Iowa for that game. Because if not, I think right now it's Dukes to lose. I think UNC is third. I think right now Dukes, without a doubt, the favorite. I would submit a crystal ball in favor of them.

But, again, this is one of those recruitments that you really can't blame Fran and company for because they have gone all in on them. All right, my old guy is going to show. what in god's name is happening in coralville uh rap stars coming to the extreme arena the reps you know what rap stars i know are dead there are no rap stars anymore they're all gone i mean big i mean tupac those are rap stars i don't know these guys yeah come on i mean john miller and i got into a long hip-hop discussion the other day, and that made me happy. But the amount of people that are like, how do you know all this?

I'm like, guys, I was born in 95. I still listen to raps from LL Cool J. Come on. You can go old school. You can go old school. I like that. I like that. Hey, David, always good talking with you.

You be good. We'll make it a home and home. I'll pop out anytime you need me to, okay? Hey, I appreciate you, buddy. Take care, all right? David Eichel, 24 7 Sports. Again, that great deal going on right now where you can find out all the information about what they

have going on, 24 7 Sports, HawkeyeInsider.com. Wrapping up here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast, and one final thought before we get out of here. As mentioned earlier, Luka Garza, he will be by tomorrow. Looking forward to our conversation with Luka.

Talk a little bit about his NBA career, what he has in front of him, the possibility that we'll see him in an NBA uniform next season. His Skills Academy, you'll have an opportunity to get involved with that. We'll give you more information on that front. Also coming your way here in tomorrow's podcast. And then on Friday, I will be in Vegas. That's right. Be live from the circus studio out there in Las Vegas to do the podcast.

It'll be myself and LaShawn talking a lot of Iowa football coming out. We'll talk about some gambling too, while I'm out there. And again, but online great resource for you. BetOnline to find all your sports wagering needs. That'll do it for today. We are out of time. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen each and

every day. Also, don't forget about Locked On Big Ten. That's right, Locked On Big Ten. Another opportunity for you to learn a little bit more about the teams that you'll be up against coming up this season. Host Nate Dickinson and local experts on Locked On will take you across the Big Ten in 30 minutes.

You can make Locked On Big Ten your second listen each and every day. Locked On Big Ten. Luka Garza stops by tomorrow, Friday, from Vegas. We continue to roll. It's the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Go Hawks.